United Gold Coast Convention
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was an early nationalist movement British colony of the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) that sought independence after the Second World War.[1][2] It was founded in August 1947 with the aim of self-government "in the shortest possible time" by educated Africans such as J.B. Danquah, A.G. Grant, R.A. Awoonor-Williams, Edward Akufo Addo (all lawyers except for Grant, who was a wealthy businessman), and others. The leadership of the organization called for the replacement of Chiefs on the Legislative Council with educated persons. The United Gold Coast Convention appointed its leaders to include Kwame Nkrumah, who was the Secretary General. However, upon an allegation for plans against Nkrumah's leadership, he was arrested and jailed.[3] The UGCC leadership broke up and Kwame Nkrumah went on a separate way to set up the Convention People's Party (CPP) for the purpose of self-governance.[4]
History
In the 1940s, African merchants, such as George Alfred Grant ("Paa Grant"), were ready to finance the organization of a political movement to assure their commercial interests in the face of unfair colonial practices. The party was founded by George Alfred Grant on 4 August 1947 by a combination of chiefs, academics and lawyers,[5] including R. A. Awoonor-Williams, Robert Samuel Blay, Edward Akufo-Addo, and Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey.[6]
On 10 December 1947, Kwame Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast, accepting Danquah's invitation to become the UGCC General Secretary. Big Six member Ebenezer Ako-Adjei recommended inviting Nkrumah, whom he had met at Lincoln University.[4] Nkrumah was offered a salary of £250, and Paa Grant paid the boat fare from Liverpool in England to the Gold Coast.[7] Danquah and Nkrumah subsequently disagreed over the direction of the independence movement.[8] Nkrumah went on to form the Convention People's Party (CPP) in 1949 and eventually became the first president of independent Ghana.[8] There was a meeting between Nkrumah and members of the party which occurred in Saltpond, a town in Central region. It was said Nkrumah rejected a proposal for the promotion of fundamental human rights.[9]
The UGCC performed poorly in the 1951 elections, winning only three seats. The following year, it merged with the National Democratic Party and disaffected members of the CPP, to form the Ghana Congress Party.[10][11]
Parliamentary elections
| Election | Number of UGCC votes | Share of votes | Seats | +/- | Position | Outcome of election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 6,337 | 36.81% | 3 | 2nd | Minority in parliament[12][13] |
See also
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Birmingham, David, Kwame Nkrumah: The Father of African Nationalism (revised edition), Ohio University Press, 1998, p. 13.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Birmingham, David, Kwame Nkrumah: The Father of African Nationalism (revised edition), Ohio University Press, 1998.
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1969) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Erster Halbband, pp783-784
- ↑ Janda, K. (1980) Political Parties: A Cross-National Survey New York: The Free Press
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control