Cape Coast Castle – The British and the Ashanti Kingdom

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Cape Coast Castle – The British and the Ashanti Kingdom

Header photo: Entrance to Fort Kumasi, former Ashantene (King) palace (c) Remo Kurka.

Cape Coast Castle, originally built by the Swedes in the 17th century and later seized by the British, became a central hub for the transatlantic slave trade under British control. As the British expanded their influence along the West African coast, they established Cape Coast as the capital of the British Gold Coast colony. From the castle, British officials coordinated not only trade—most notoriously in enslaved Africans—but also colonial administration and military operations.

Despite the British dominance along the coast, they encountered strong resistance from the powerful Ashanti Kingdom located inland. The Ashanti were themselves deeply involved in the regional slave trade, capturing and selling war captives and rivals to European traders. Relations between the British and the Ashanti fluctuated between uneasy trade partnerships and outright warfare.

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A series of Anglo-Ashanti wars occurred throughout the 19th century, with the final and most decisive conflict taking place in 1900–1901, known as the War of the Golden Stool.

The Ashanti fiercely resisted British attempts to exert full colonial control and seize the sacred Golden Stool, a symbol of the Ashanti nation. The British suffered significant losses during the conflict, but ultimately overpowered the Ashanti forces.

To consolidate their victory, the British captured and exiled the Queen Mother, Yaa Asantewaa, who had led the resistance, and many other Ashanti leaders.

Following the war, the British demolished parts of the Ashanti royal palace in Kumasi and replaced it with a military fort to assert dominance. This marked the definitive subjugation of the Ashanti Empire and its full incorporation into the British Gold Coast colony.

Yaa Asantewaa – Warrior Queen Mother of the Ashanti

Yaa Asantewaa (c. 1840 – October 17, 1921) was the Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, located in present-day Ghana. She is best remembered for her courageous leadership during the War of the Golden Stool in 1900, a pivotal conflict against British colonial forces.

At a time when the British were seeking to further subjugate the Ashanti people and demanded the surrender of the Golden Stool—the sacred symbol of Ashanti sovereignty and spiritual identity—Yaa Asantewaa rose to prominence. When the Ashanti male chiefs hesitated to confront the British demand, Yaa Asantewaa famously challenged them with a powerful speech, saying:

"If you, the men of Ashanti, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will fight."

With these words, she assumed leadership of the Ashanti resistance, organizing and commanding a force of thousands. She became the first and only woman to lead an Ashanti army in war, directing strategies and defenses during the siege of the British fort in Kumasi.

Although the British eventually broke the resistance and captured Yaa Asantewaa, her leadership became a powerful symbol of anti-colonial resistance. She was exiled to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921. Her bravery and defiance remain celebrated across Ghana and beyond, symbolizing the strength of African women and the enduring spirit of resistance against colonial domination.

Today, Yaa Asantewaa is honored as a national heroine in Ghana, with monuments, schools, and festivals commemorating her legacy.