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The Ashanti War (1873-74) - making a road to Kumasi
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The Ashanti War (1873-74) - making a road to Kumasi
British overseer giving instructions to tribesmen who are cutting down trees and making a road to the Ashanti capital, Kumasi. The second Ashanti War fought between, 1873-74, was between King Kofi Karikari, ruler of the Ashanti (or Asantehene), and the British. Both were trying to secure the coastal town of Elmina on the West Coast of Africa also known as the Gold Coast
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Media ID 4397553
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10221514
1873 1874 Asantehene Ashanti Capital Cutting El Mina Fought Giving Instructions Karikari Kofi Kumasi Overseer Ruler Secure Tribesmen
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a pivotal moment during the Second Ashanti War (1873-74), a significant conflict in the history of West Africa, particularly in the Gold Coast region. The image depicts a British overseer, dressed in full military regalia, giving instructions to local Ashanti tribesmen as they laboriously cut down trees and clear a path towards Kumasi, the Ashanti capital. During this period, King Kofi Karikari, the Ashanti ruler, or Asantehene, and the British were engaged in a power struggle to secure control over the coastal town of Elmina. Elmina, located on the West Coast of Africa, was a strategically important trading post due to its rich gold deposits and its role as a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. The Second Ashanti War marked the beginning of the end for Ashanti independence, as the British sought to expand their colonial influence in the region. The war was a decisive victory for the British, who were able to establish a permanent presence in the Ashanti heartland. The photograph offers a glimpse into the harsh realities of colonial expansion, with the British overseer directing the labor of the Ashanti tribesmen to make way for a road that would facilitate the movement of British troops and resources towards Kumasi. The image underscores the unequal power dynamics at play during this period of African history, as well as the human cost of imperial conquest. This photograph is a poignant reminder of the complex and often tumultuous history of the Gold Coast, a region that would later become Ghana, and the profound impact of colonialism on the lives of African peoples.
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