1948 – Accra Riots Lead to Accelerated Push for Ghanaian Independence

By May 15, 1948, in the wake of violent clashes between British colonial police and African veterans in Accra, Ghana (then the Gold Coast), the momentum for independence reached a new peak. The riots, which began in February, were sparked by unfair treatment of African ex-soldiers and economic hardships. The aftermath on this day saw British officials scrambling to contain the unrest and opened the door for the rise of political leaders like Kwame Nkrumah. The Watson Commission was appointed shortly after to investigate the causes, inadvertently legitimizing African demands for self-governance. This unrest eventually led to the formation of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Ghana’s independence in 1957. May 15 represents the colonial authorities’ realization that the era of European dominance was eroding fast.