The 1874 British Destruction of Kumasi

On February 4, 1874, British forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley marched into Kumasi, the Asante capital, and burned it to the ground. This episode unpacks the 1874 Sagrenti War — the British campaign that destroyed the Asante capital, looted the royal palace, and forced the Treaty of Fomena. We explore the military tactics, the devastating use of Congreve rockets, the failed diplomacy of Asantehene Kofi Karikari, and how the burning of Kumasi reshaped Asante power. Lucas and Luna also touch on the looting of Asante gold and art, the death of the British commander at the Battle of Amoaful, and how the war paved the way for the colonization of the Gold Coast. This is the grim story of how Victorian firepower dismantled one of West Africa's greatest empires. #Kumasi #SagrentiWar #AsanteEmpire #SirGarnetWolseley #KofiKarikari #AssaultOnKumasi #GoldCoast #BritishEmpire #CongreveRockets #TreatyOfFomena #Amoaful #WestAfrica #19thCentury #ColonialWarfare #ScrambleForAfrica #Ghana #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo