The 1948 Accra Riots: Ghana's Spark for Independence

In February 1948, the Gold Coast erupted. A peaceful protest by unarmed ex-servicemen marching to present a petition to the governor ended in police gunfire, leaving three dead. Within hours, rioting spread across Accra, targeting European-owned stores and buildings. This episode walks through the events of that day — the march, the shooting, the looting — and traces the chain reaction that followed. We talk about the role of Nii Kwabena Bonney III, the Ga chief whose palace became a command center; the arrested 'Big Six' including Kwame Nkrumah and J.B. Danquah; the Watson Commission that investigated; and how the riots pushed the colonial office toward accepting self-government. We also dig into the longer-term grievances: inflation, housing shortages, the unmet promises of wartime service. A turning point that turned a reform movement into a revolution. #AccraRiots #GoldCoast #KwameNkrumah #BigSix #UnitedGoldCoastConvention #WatsonCommission #ExServicemen #NiiKwabenaBonneyIII #History #FexingoHistory #GhanaIndependence #ColonialHistory #WestAfrica #1948 #ChristianborgCrossroads #Danquah #AkoAdjei #IndependenceMovement Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo