History homework
project
Ghana: from British rule to
independence
Name________Form___
History teacher__________________
Hand in date___________
Ghana web-quest
Use Google to find the answers to the following questions. Hint: do not type
the whole question – just type the key words.
1. Circle the three countries that border (are next to) Ghana.
HINT: Use a map to help you find the answer to this question
Morocco Burkina Faso Uganda Benin Togo Cote d’Ivoire Senegal
2. Give the names of three ethnic groups (types of people) in Ghana
__________________ _______________________ ___________________
3. What was the name of the empire that ruled Ghana before the Europeans arrived?
Circle the correct answer
Ashanti Roman Bugandan Egyptian Zulu
4. Which country did the first Europeans to arrive in Ghana come from?
________________________
5. What goods did Europeans want to buy or take from Ghana? Circle three answers
Carpets
gold
wool
ivory
fish
slaves oranges
6. What year did the British conquer (take control of) Ghana?
____________________. When did it get independence (freedom)? ___________
7. What did the British call Ghana before 1957? ____________________
8. Underline the true statements
•No one in Ghana tried to stop the British taking over
•The British had to fight many groups of people to gain control of Ghana
•The British used traditional chiefs to help them rule
•The British did not listen to the traditional chiefs’ advice
Source analysis: British rule in the Gold Coast
SOURCE B Flag of the Gold Coast
before independence
SOURCE C Flag of the Ghana after
independence (1957)
SOURCE A
Map of the Gold Coast (Ghana) 1896
SOURCE D, stamp, 1957
Source E: Sir Garnett
Wolseley
1874
Looking at the sources on the previous page, answer these questions
Look closely at source A
According to the map, what country controlled Togoland? ______________________
Give the name of one of the castles on the coast _________________________
Thinking challenge: Why would maps like this have helped the British to control the area?
__________________________________________________________________
Look at source B
What animal can you see on the flag? _____________________________________
Thinking challenge: why would this animal have been important to the British in Ghana?
______________________________________________________
Look at source C
Why do you think the people of Ghana chose to change their flag in 1957?
___________________________________________________________________________
Look at source D
Why was this stamp made? _______________________________________
Who is the woman on the stamp? _____________________________________
According to the stamp, what is the exact date that Ghana became independent (free) from
Britain? ______________________
Look at source E
Thinking challenge: why might the British government have sent this man to Ghana? (Look
at what he is wearing and carrying for clues)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Kwame Nkrumah
Read this short biography and then answer the following questions
Kwame Nkrumah was born in Ghana in 1909, the son of a goldsmith. When he grew up he worked as a teacher, before studying
law. As a student he spent time in both America and Britain. While in London he became passionate about decolonialisation (the
idea that countries ruled by European empires should have the right to govern themselves). He founded a group called the West
African National Secretariat, which campaigned for Ghana, and other African countries, to be independent.
In 1947, Nkrumah was asked to become head of The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), a Ghanaian party that campaigned
for independence. He accepted, and sailed back to Ghana.
However, the British authorities believed that the UGCC was causing trouble, and Nkrumah was put in prison. In spite of this, his
party won in the elections and Nkrumah was released. Facing protests, the British prepared to leave Ghana.
In 1957 Nkrumah became the leader of a free Ghana. However, this situation ended in 1966 when he was overthrown (kicked out
of power) by opponents in Ghana. Some people in Ghana had thought that Nkrumah had taken too much power for himself and
had been too harsh with people who disagreed with him. He had made himself ‘president for life’. In fact, he died in Romania in
1971, having been unable to return to Ghana.
In which two countries outside of Ghana did Nkrumah study?
_______________________________ _________________________
What is meant by decolonialisation?
_________________________________________________________________
What group did Nkrumah form when he was a student?
___________________________________________
What did this group campaign for?
___________________________________________
In which year did he become leader of Ghana?
_________________________________
Why did some people criticise the way he ran Ghana
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Design a stamp
The government of Ghana has asked you to design a stamp to
commemorate the life and work of Kwame Nkrumah. Think
carefully about what you need to include, and use what you have
learnt from the rest of your project.
Summing up:
Go to
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/
either
1 Make a wordsearch based on 10 key words from this
project
2 Thinking challenge: make a cross-word based on what
you have learnt about the history of Ghana. You will be
required to think of your own questions.
When you have finished making
your puzzle, print it out and
stick it in this box