Ghana gained independence from Great Britain on March 6, 1957. Independence efforts in the British colony, known as the Gold Coast, were led by nationalist leader Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party, which he formed in 1949, demanded immediate self-government. They initiated a campaign of “positive action” that included nonviolent protests, strikes, noncooperation with British colonial authorities, and a boycott of European goods to press their demands. Nkrumah was elected to the colony’s parliament in 1951 and was named prime minister the next year. He and the CPP continued to push for independence, culminating with the colony becoming the independent country of Ghana in 1957. Ghana was the first African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule, inspiring more than 30 other African countries to follow suit within the next decade.
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