Sub-Saharan Africa began its journey of decolonization in 1956 when the Sudan won independence after the Egyptian revolution in 1952 (Findley/Rothney 387). One of the first African countries to gain independence was Ghana, in 1957. Ghana is located in West Africa near the equator and on the Greenwich meridian. The colonial power that ruled Ghana until their day of independence was Britain. The Portuguese were the first to arrive and they named the place where they settled the Gold Coast. This became the name of the country till independence when it was changed to Ghana. The British were not the first Europeans to arrive in Ghana but they were the last to leave. The capital of Ghana was moved from Cape Coast to Accra by the British in 1876. .
The beginning struggle for independence began in the mid 40s when a British Civil Service and Legislative Council was established. This group called many of the Ghana people to fight Britain's wars in Europe and North Africa. This they did with valor and great courage, only to be denied compensation and benefits upon their return to the Gold Coast. This single act began the beginning of the end for the British in Ghana (Brody 1). Shortly after this police open fired in Accra on former servicemen who were peacefully carrying a petition to seek reparations for their fighting. In August, 1947, the United Gold Coast Convention was founded resulting from the prior unrest in the country. There were two parts of this convention, a moderate wing headed by a variety of African business and professional men, and a militant wing, led by an American educated young man, Kwame Nkrumah. This new American leader helped to organize a revolt again the British rule which eventually led to Ghana gaining its independence. Kwame Nkrumah laid the foundation for the economic and social transformation of Ghana. His politics and leadership served as a model for nationalists all over the African continent and islands.
