The 1948 Accra Riots and the Birth of Independence

While earlier episodes explored the Ashanti wars, the Golden Stool, and Kwame Nkrumah’s rise, this episode turns to the spark that ignited the fire: the 1948 Accra Riots. We focus on the four wounded veterans—the Uncles—Nii Kwabena Bonnie III, Samuel Odoi, George Ansah, and Herbert Ofori Atta—and their fatal shooting by British officer William Waddington. This event shattered the illusion of colonial benevolence and radicalized a generation, including a young clerk named Kwame Nkrumah who was watching from the sidelines. Lucas and Luna trace how these four men, returning from World War II with high hopes for recognition, instead met bullets, transforming grief into a unified political demand for self-governance. The conversation examines the role of the United Gold Coast Convention, the power of the Accra market women, and the immediate crackdown that proved the Empire could no longer hold back the tide of African nationalism. #History #FexingoHistory #GhanaHistory #AccraRiots #1948Riots #KwameNkrumah #Uncles #WilliamWaddington #NiiKwabenaBonnieIII #SamuelOdoi #GeorgeAnsah #HerbertOforiAtta #WWIIVeterans #UGCC #GoldCoastIndependence #Colonialism #WestAfrica #AfricanNationalism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo