African & African American Resistance to Colonial Rule

African & African American Resistance against Colonial Rule

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify key Africans/African American groups and leaders who resisted colonial rule.

• Describe the causes and outcome of the War of the Golden Stool.

• Describe the causes and outcome of the Haitian Revolution.

The War of the Golden Stool (1900)

THE ASHANTI KINGDOM OF GHANA

• The Ashanti (Asante) people are a major ethnic group in West Africa, mainly located in present-day Ghana.
• The Ashanti Kingdom (also called the Asante Empire) was a well-organized African state that developed in the 1600s.
• The kingdom was built largely on gold mining, trade and agriculture.
• They're known for rich traditions, including kente cloth, storytelling, and symbols like the Golden Stool

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The symbol of a nation, unity, and power

• The Stool held the spirit of the Ashanti nation, connecting the people to their ancestors.

• The Stool represented the authority of the king (Asantehene) and the unity of all Ashanti states.

• The Stool symbolized independence and identity,

The Anglo Ashanti Wars

A series of wars (five conflicts) between the Ashanti empire and British empire which ultimately resulted in the Ashantis being incorporated into British colony.

The Anglo Ashanti Wars (1823-1900)

“Where is the Golden stool? I am the representative of the paramount power. Why have you relegated me to this ordinary chair? Why did you not take the opportunity of my coming to bring the Golden stool for me to sit upon?“

Sir Fredrick Hodgson

WHO WAS YAA ASANTEWAA?

• Yaa Asantewaa was a Ghanaian warrior queen.
• Born on October 17th, 1840
• Queen-mother of Ejisu.
• She was a mother and a farmer. She had no formal education.
• Special advisor to the Chief
• Gatekeeper of the golden stool.

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The Anglo Ashanti Wars

“ Now I have seen that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our King. If it were in the brave days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye and Opoku Ware, leaders would not sit down to see their King taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared to speak to a leader of the Ashanti in the way the Governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of the Ashanti is no more? I cannot believe it! If you men of Ashanti will not go, then we will go. We the women will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight the white man. We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields.“

Queen Yaa Asantewaa

OUTCOME OF THE WAR FOR THE GOLDEN STOOL

• The British defeated the Ashanti in the war (lasted between March - September 1900).
• Yaa Asantewaa and other leaders were captured and later exiled on Seychelles Islands.
• The British strengthened their control over the Ashanti Kingdom and made it part of the Gold Coast colony.

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The Haitian Revolution (1791)

OVERVIEW OF THE HAITAIN REVOLUTION

WHERE?

CONTEXT

WHEN?

In the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which is now the modern country of Haiti, located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

The revolution began in 1791 and ended in 1804 with Haiti’s independence.

Saint-Domingue was the wealthiest colony in the world, producing 40% of the world's sugar and 60% of its coffee

CAUSES OF THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

• Extreme Brutality: High mortality rate on Haitian plantations.
• The Enlightenment & French Revolution: Ideas about freedom and equality, especially from the French Revolution, inspired resistance.
• Extreme inequality: Society was divided into white colonists, free people of color, and enslaved Africans with no rights for the enslaved population.

Toussaint Louverture

OUTCOME OF THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

The Birth of a New Nation

• On January 1, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared the independence of the colony, renaming it Haiti (derived from Ayiti, the Indigenous Taíno word for "land of mountains").
• Haiti became the first independent Black republic in the world.
• Haiti became the first country in the modern world to permanently ban slavery.

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Any Questions?

Thanks for listening!

THE GOLDEN STOOL WAS NEVER CAPTURED!

The Pueblo Revolt

Causes: Forced conversion to Christianity by Spanish missionaries Suppression of Pueblo religious practices Forced labor and tribute demands Harsh punishments for maintaining Indigenous traditions What happened? In 1680, Pueblo groups coordinated a surprise uprising They attacked Spanish settlements and missions Spanish colonists were forced to flee the region

Resistance is viewed as "toolbox" rather than just a battle. It can be:

• Active: Fighting back or protesting (military or physical action).

• Passive/Cultural: Refusing to change your language, religion, or traditions even when being forced to (keeping your identity alive).

• Legal: Using a country's own laws or courts to argue for your freedom.

Resistance is viewed as "toolbox" rather than just a battle. It can be:

• Active: Fighting back or protesting (military or physical action).

• Passive/Cultural: Refusing to change your language, religion, or traditions even when being forced to (keeping your identity alive).

• Legal: Using a country's own laws or courts to argue for your freedom.

The conflict series began with the First Anglo-Ashanti War in 1823. Fighting continued through several campaigns in the 19th century and culminated in the final struggle known as the War of the Golden Stool in 1900. The Asante King, Prempeh I captured and exiled to Seychelles Islands in 1896.