On 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast formally became the independent state of Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African colony to achieve independence from European colonial rule. At a midnight ceremony in Accra, the Union Jack was lowered and Ghana's new flag raised as Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah declared the country free, telling the crowd that Ghana's independence was meaningless unless linked to the total liberation of the African continent. The date is now marked annually as Ghana's Independence Day.
Facts
Event DateSourced to the subject's own account LocationOld Polo Grounds, Accra, Gold Coast 3 Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Decisive Moment Of
Source Ghana, Independence (Britannica)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Ghana, Independence (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaQuote
Encyclopaedia Britannica account of Ghana's independence, declared 6 March 1957.
2. Ghana (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, opening sentence, date clause
At midnight on 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana.
Lead section, opening sentence, year component
At midnight on 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana.
Transition to independence section
At midnight on 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana.
View the Source 3. Re-living Accra Old Polo Grounds, Now Nkrumah Mausoleum (Graphic Online)
Graphic Online (Graphic Communications Group, Ghana)Feature article body, sentence naming the declaration venueQuote, Feature article body, sentence naming the declaration venue
Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his colleagues stood at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra on the eve of Ghana's political independence, to declare the country's freedom from British colonial rule.
Independence Day (Ghana) (Wikipedia)
In Group: Independence, Partition and Dissolution of States, Lead paragraphQuote, In Group: Independence, Partition and Dissolution of States, Lead paragraph
On Wednesday, 6 March 1957, Kwame Nkrumah declared to the people of Ghana about their freedom, he added that, "the African People are capable of managing their own affairs and Ghana our beloved country is free forever." Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve its independence from European colonial rule.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.