Today in History, December 18, 1956, the British Parliament’s debate on the Ghana Independence Bill which made way for the Gold Coast to transition from a British colony to an independent nation.
The bill included framework for self-governance, including constitutional arrangements and the transfer of powers from colonial authorities to local leaders.
Three months later, on March 6, 1957, Ghana officially became independent, making it the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule.
Kwame Nkrumah, who had been a leading figure in the independence movement, became the country’s first Prime Minister.
This event also inspired independence movements across Africa, accelerating the continent’s wave of decolonization in the 1960s.
