Independence of Ghana
- Date
- 6 March 1957
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana)
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
On 6 March 1957 the Gold Coast became the independent state of Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African colony to win majority-rule independence from a European power.
The new nation was led by Kwame Nkrumah and his Convention People's Party, which had built mass support through campaigns of 'positive action', strikes and electoral victories. Nkrumah, who had served as prime minister under colonial supervision since 1952, became Ghana's first prime minister and a leading global advocate of Pan-Africanism and African unity. The independence celebrations in Accra drew worldwide attention and prominent international guests. Ghana's success demonstrated that African self-rule was achievable and inspired nationalist movements across the continent, helping to set the stage for the rapid decolonisation of the following years. Ghana became a republic in 1960 with Nkrumah as president and was an early driving force behind the Organisation of African Unity, established in 1963.
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Empires active in 6 March 1957
- Soviet Union1922 CE to 1991 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE to 1962 CE
- British Empire1583 CE to 1997 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE to 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE to 1999 CE
- Solomonic dynasty1270 CE to 1974 CE
Related politics & governance events
- Construction of the Berlin Wall13 August 1961
- Founding of the People's Republic of China1 October 1949
- Establishment of Apartheid in South Africa1948
- Independence and Partition of British India14 to 15 August 1947
- Iranian RevolutionJanuary to February 1979
- Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika1985 to 1991 (from 11 March 1985)
Essential reading
- Containerisation begins: SS Ideal X first container voyage26 April 1956
- Castle Bravo Test and the Nuclearisation of the Pacific1 March 1954
- Apollo 11 Moon landing20 July 1969 (mission 16 to 24 July 1969)
- Cárdenas Nationalises Mexico's Oil1938
Further reading
The wider story
The Ethiopians: A History
Standard general history of Ethiopia and its dynasties.
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