The 1948 Accra Riots and the March to Independence

In February 1948, a peaceful protest by unarmed ex-servicemen in Accra turned deadly when British police opened fire, killing three veterans. The shootings ignited riots across the Gold Coast, with crowds targeting European businesses and symbols of colonial rule. The colonial government arrested the ‘Big Six’—Kwame Nkrumah, J.B. Danquah, and others—but the violence forced London to reconsider its strategy. The Watson Commission's report blamed poor governance and paved the way for constitutional reforms. This episode traces the spark: a march to deliver a petition to the governor at Christianborg Castle, the panicked volley that killed Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Odartey Lamptey, and the wave of looting and arson that followed. Lucas and Luna explore how the riots shifted the independence movement from elite petitions to mass action, setting the stage for Nkrumah's Positive Action campaign. They also discuss the role of ex-servicemen who had fought for Britain in World War II and returned to broken promises. #AccraRiots1948 #GoldCoastHistory #KwameNkrumah #BigSix #ChristianborgCastle #SergeantAdjetey #CorporalAttipoe #OdarteyLamptey #WatsonCommission #ExServicemen #BritishColonialism #GhanaIndependence #PositiveAction #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialViolence #MassMovement Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo