Basic 4 · History · The People of Ghana

The Decline of the Asante Kingdom (Part 1)

In this topic you will study the wars between Asante and the British that weakened the kingdom.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Describe the Anglo-Asante wars
Explain the 1874 Sagrenti War
Explain how war weakened Asante

What you already know

The expansion of the Asante Kingdom

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand: My country Ghana
Sub-strand: The People of Ghana
Indicator: B4.2.1.1.2 – State the factors that led to the decline of the kingdom you have studied

Introduction

In the 1800s, the British wanted to control the coast and trade. Asante also wanted the coast. This led to a series of wars called the Anglo-Asante wars.

1. The Anglo-Asante Wars

Asante and the British fought several wars between 1824 and 1900.

Key wars

Year	Event
1824	Asante defeated the British at Nsamankow
1874	British forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley ("Sagrenti") captured and burnt Kumasi
1896	British troops entered Kumasi; Asantehene Prempeh I was arrested
1900	the Yaa Asantewaa War

Map showing British advance from the coast to Kumasi in 1874 — Figure 1: The Sagrenti War, 1874 Draw the route of the British advance.Base map: NordNordWest, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. The Sagrenti War (1874)

Ghanaians called Sir Garnet Wolseley "Sagrenti".
His forces entered Kumasi and burnt it.
Asante signed the Treaty of Fomena and lost control of southern states.

3. Effects of the Wars

loss of soldiers and lives
loss of tributary states
destruction of Kumasi
weakening of Asante power

New words

decline: To become weaker.
Anglo-Asante wars: Wars between the British and Asante.
treaty: A formal agreement between states.
Sagrenti: The Ghanaian name for Sir Garnet Wolseley.
tributary: Paying tribute to a stronger state.
defeat: To beat in battle.

Summary

Asante and the British fought several wars from 1824 to 1900.
In 1874, the British burnt Kumasi in the Sagrenti War.
The Treaty of Fomena cost Asante its southern states.
The wars weakened Asante.

Class activity: War Timeline

Make a timeline of the Anglo-Asante wars.
Write one effect beside each war.
Discuss why the British wanted to control Asante.

You need: Ghana map, Printed photographs of traditional stools, Palaces, Locally made timeline cards

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Who did Ghanaians call "Sagrenti"?
- A. Sir Garnet Wolseley
- B. Prempeh I
- C. Osei Tutu
- D. Kwame Nkrumah
Show answer
Answer: Sir Garnet WolseleyHe led the 1874 invasion.
2. Which treaty followed the 1874 war?
- A. Treaty of Fomena
- B. Bond of 1844
- C. Treaty of Versailles
- D. Republic Treaty
Show answer
Answer: Treaty of FomenaAsante lost southern states.
3. In 1824, Asante defeated the British at…
- A. Nsamankow
- B. Feyiase
- C. Kumasi
- D. Elmina
Show answer
Answer: NsamankowIt was an Asante victory.
4. The British burnt Kumasi in 1874.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueDuring the Sagrenti War.
5. Asante and the British fought only one war.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseThey fought several wars.
6. A formal agreement between states is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: treatyFomena was a treaty.
7. Give two effects of the Anglo-Asante wars on Asante.
Show answer
Answer: Any two: loss of lives, loss of states, destruction of Kumasi, weaker power.Wars weakened Asante.
8. Why did the British want to defeat Asante?
Show answer
Answer: To control the coast, trade routes and the gold-rich interior.Trade and control.

Homework

Write three sentences about the Sagrenti War.