Gold Coast (Ghana) greets Kwame Nkrumah 1951

In this film Gold Coast independence leader Kwame Nkrumah is freed from prison after winning victory in the country’s elections in 1951. A huge crowd welcomes him with much shouting and cheering. He then parades through the packed streets in an open top car. Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the leading figure in the campaign to get independence for the Gold Coast from the British empire in the 1950s. He led the Convention People's Party. The party wanted independence for the Gold Coast and wanted the African peoples of West Africa to work together closely. Nkrumah was born in the Gold Coast but developed a successful career in American universities. In the 1940s he began to campaign for independence for his home country. This campaign lasted well into the 1950s. There is little doubt from the film that Nkrumah was a popular leader and that he was the popular choice of the people in the election. It would interesting to hear a commentary from a local perspective.

Channel: UK National Archives Video Length: 44s Date Found: Fri, Apr 04 2008 7:41 PM Category: History Date Produced: View Count: 385