Ghana and Togo Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1843-1957

Ghana and Togo Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1843–1957 contains papers from the colonial governments in Ghana and Togo. They shed much light on British rule in these territories. Throughout the period covered by this collection Ghana and Togo were known as the Gold Coast and British Togoland. Their records are published together because Togoland included land which is part of modern-day Ghana.

The government reports contained in this collection cover the First and Second World Wars and the rise of African sleeping sickness from the Tsetse fly. They also document the administration of social services prior to independence. This collection provides students and academics with insights into the histories of Ghana and Togo and their experiences of British colonialism.

The new constitution of the Legislative Council was conferred upon the Gold Coast Colony by an Order of the King in Council, dated 8th April 1925

Guggisburg Report on the Gold Coast, 1920-1928, Img 4

Insights

These reports are arranged by department. Comparison of reports over time yields insights into how each area of government developed throughout the period of British colonial rule.

These papers cover the First and Second World Wars, the rise of African sleeping sickness due to the Tsetse fly, and the administration of social services before independence. They also provide details of the third Ashanti War and its aftermath.

While the Gold Coast had a significant mining sector, agriculture remained the mainstay of the export economy. Farming was also the basis of the domestic economy. The most important export of the Gold Coast was cocoa. British efforts to exert control over land and forests in the Gold Coast were met with determined local opposition. The volume on Natural Resources provides details of the colonial administration’s control of agriculture.

The contents page at the front of each report lists the departments which existed at that time. Comparison of these contents pages reveals how the structure of the colonial governments developed throughout the period of British rule.