Basic 6 · History · Impact of European Presence
European Impact: Trade, Crops and Money
In this topic you will assess the economic changes the European presence brought to Ghana, including new crops, cash crops, legitimate trade and new forms of money.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Name crops introduced through European contact
- Explain the change from the slave trade to legitimate trade
- Describe changes in currency and the economy
What you already know
- Christianity and mission work
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Europeans In Ghana
- Sub-strand
- Impact of European Presence
- Indicator
- B6.3.4.1.1 – Assess the changes that the European presence brought to Ghana
Introduction
Cassava, maize, cocoa and oranges are part of daily life in Ghana. Yet none of them is originally from Ghana. They came through contact with Europeans and their trade routes.
1. New Crops
| Crop | Original home | Brought by / when |
|---|---|---|
| maize | the Americas | Portuguese, from the 16th century |
| cassava | South America | Portuguese, from the 16th century |
| groundnut | South America | Portuguese traders |
| pineapple, pawpaw, guava | the Americas | European traders |
| cocoa | South America (via Fernando Po) | Tetteh Quarshie, 1879 |
| oranges and limes | Asia | Portuguese |
Cassava and maize became staple foods. Today, banku, kenkey, gari and fufu made with cassava are eaten everywhere in Ghana.
2. From Slave Trade to Legitimate Trade
After Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, trade on the Gold Coast changed to "legitimate trade" in goods. Ghanaians exported palm oil, palm kernels, rubber, gold, timber and later cocoa. Factories in Europe needed palm oil for soap, candles and machine grease.
3. Cash Crops and Mining
The colonial economy focused on producing raw materials for export. Cocoa became Ghana's leading export, and by 1911 the Gold Coast was the world's largest producer of cocoa. Gold, diamonds, manganese and bauxite were mined. Timber was cut from the forests.
4. Money and Banking
| Period | Money used |
|---|---|
| before Europeans | gold dust, cowrie shells, barter |
| colonial period | British coins, then the British West African pound (from 1913) |
| after independence | Ghana pound (1958), cedi (1965), new Ghana cedi (2007) |
Banks such as the Bank of British West Africa (1890s) opened, and Ghanaians began to save and borrow in banks.
5. Assessing the Economic Effects
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| new food crops improved diets | the economy depended on a few raw materials |
| cocoa brought wealth to farmers | few factories were built to process goods locally |
| a modern money and banking system developed | land was lost to mines and plantations |
| employment in mines, ports and trade | profits often went to European companies |
New words
- legitimate trade
- Trade in goods, not people.
- cash crop
- A crop grown for sale, not for home use.
- export
- To send goods to another country for sale.
- staple food
- A main food eaten regularly.
- currency
- The money used in a country.
- raw material
- A natural material used to make goods.
Summary
- Maize, cassava and cocoa came through European contact.
- After 1807, legitimate trade replaced the slave trade.
- The colonial economy focused on exporting cocoa, gold and timber.
- Money changed from gold dust and cowries to coins and the cedi.
Class activity: Food Origins
- List ten foods eaten in your home.
- Find out which crops in them came from the Americas.
- Present a "food journey" map.
You need: Ghana map, Printed photographs of forts, Early mission schools, Cowrie shells, Trade beads
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Who brought cocoa to the Gold Coast in 1879?
- A. Tetteh Quarshie
- B. Kwame Nkrumah
- C. Philip Quaque
- D. Guggisberg
Show answer
Answer: Tetteh QuarshieFrom Fernando Po.2. Cassava originally came from…
- A. South America
- B. Europe
- C. Asia
- D. Australia
Show answer
Answer: South AmericaBrought by the Portuguese.3. The cedi was introduced in…
- A. 1965
- B. 1874
- C. 1807
- D. 1482
Show answer
Answer: 1965After independence.4. Palm oil was an important legitimate trade export.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueUsed for soap and candles.5. The colonial economy built many processing factories.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseIt focused on raw materials.6. A crop grown for sale is a ______ crop.
Show answer
Answer: cashe.g. cocoa.7. Name three crops introduced through European contact.
Show answer
Answer: Maize, cassava and cocoa (or groundnut, pineapple).Any three.8. Why was depending on cocoa a problem for the economy?
Show answer
Answer: When cocoa prices fell or crops failed, the whole economy suffered because there were few other exports or industries.Over-dependence.
Homework
- Find out the prices farmers get for a bag of cocoa today.