The 1946 Burns Constitution and Ghana's Path to Self-Rule

In 1946, the Gold Coast became the first British colony in Africa to have an African-majority legislature. This episode unpacks the Burns Constitution, named after Governor Sir Alan Burns, which expanded the Legislative Council and gave elected African members the upper hand over colonial appointees. We explore how World War II shifted Britain's imperial calculus, the role of the 1943 Forced Labour Ordinance debate, and how figures like J.B. Danquah and the Gold Coast Youth Conference pushed for constitutional change. We also discuss the constitution's limitations — it still left key powers in British hands — and how it set the stage for the 1948 Accra riots and the independence movement that followed. A crucial but often overlooked step in Ghana's journey from colony to independent nation. #BurnsConstitution #SirAlanBurns #GoldCoast #GhanaHistory #LegislativeCouncil #JBDanquah #GoldCoastYouthConference #WWIIEffects #ColonialReform #1946Constitution #AfricanMajority #SelfRule #AccraRiots #BritishEmpire #Decolonization #WestAfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo