🇬🇭 Introduction

The road to Ghana’s independence was shaped by many events, but few were as important as the disturbances that began in Accra on 28 February 1948. What started as a peaceful march by dissatisfied ex-servicemen became a major political turning point after colonial police opened fire and killed three veterans: Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey.

The riots that followed exposed deep dissatisfaction with colonial rule and led to the establishment of the Watson Commission, whose work helped push the Gold Coast towards constitutional reform and, eventually, independence.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Explain the background and events of the 1948 Accra Riots.
• Identify the three ex-servicemen killed on 28 February 1948.
• Explain the effects and importance of the riots.
• Describe the work and importance of the Watson Commission.

🪖 Background to the 1948 Accra Riots

After the Second World War, many Gold Coast soldiers returned home after serving in the British military.

These ex-servicemen had fought overseas and expected that their sacrifices would be recognised through improved opportunities and promised benefits.

However, many returned to face difficulties such as:

• Unemployment
• Economic hardship
• Inadequate benefits
• Rising cost of living
• Dissatisfaction with colonial administration

At the same time, dissatisfaction was already growing among the wider population over economic conditions and colonial rule. A boycott of European-owned goods had also been organised in protest against high prices.

🪖 Who Were the Ex-Servicemen?

Ex-servicemen were former soldiers who had served in the armed forces.

Many Gold Coast soldiers had fought for Britain during the Second World War.

After returning home, some believed they had not received the pensions, employment opportunities and other benefits they had expected.

Their frustrations contributed to the events of February 1948.

🚶 The 28 February 1948 March

On 28 February 1948, a group of unarmed ex-servicemen organised a peaceful march in Accra.

Their intention was to present a petition to the Governor at Christiansborg Castle concerning their grievances and promised benefits.

As the marchers approached the Christiansborg Crossroads, they were stopped by colonial police.

The confrontation became one of the most important moments in Ghana’s political history.

🔫 The Christiansborg Crossroads Shooting

The colonial police attempted to prevent the ex-servicemen from continuing towards the Governor’s residence.

Shots were eventually fired at the marchers.

Three ex-servicemen were killed:

🪖 Sergeant Adjetey

Sergeant Adjetey was one of the leading ex-servicemen involved in the march.

🪖 Corporal Attipoe

Corporal Attipoe was also among those killed during the shooting.

🪖 Private Odartey Lamptey

Private Odartey Lamptey was the third ex-serviceman killed.

The deaths of these three men became symbols of resistance to colonial injustice.

🔥 What Happened After the Shooting?

News of the shooting spread quickly.

Anger increased among the population, and disturbances broke out in Accra before spreading to other parts of the Gold Coast.

The unrest included:

• Demonstrations
• Looting of some shops
• Destruction of property
• Wider protests against colonial rule

The disturbances lasted several days and exposed the depth of public dissatisfaction with the colonial administration.

⚠️ The Riots Were About More Than One Incident

The shooting of the ex-servicemen was the immediate trigger, but the underlying causes were broader.

People were already dissatisfied because of issues such as:

• High prices
• Unemployment
• Economic hardship
• Limited African participation in government
• Dissatisfaction with colonial rule

The riots therefore revealed problems that had been developing for some time.

👥 The UGCC and the Riots

The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was one of the major political organisations campaigning for greater African participation in government.

After the disturbances began, its leaders criticised the colonial administration and demanded major political change.

The colonial government later arrested six leading nationalists associated with the UGCC.

They became popularly known as the Big Six.

Their arrest further increased public interest in nationalist politics.

📌 Effects of the 1948 Accra Riots

The riots produced several important effects.

1. They Exposed Public Dissatisfaction

The colonial government could no longer easily ignore the frustration felt by many people in the Gold Coast.

2. They Increased Nationalist Activity

More people became interested in political organisations and demands for self-government.

3. Nationalist Leaders Gained Greater Recognition

The arrest of nationalist leaders helped increase their public profile.

4. Britain Investigated the Disturbances

The colonial authorities established the Watson Commission to investigate what had happened and why.

5. Constitutional Reform Became More Urgent

The events strengthened demands for changes in how the Gold Coast was governed.

🇬🇭 Importance to Ghana’s Independence Struggle

The 1948 riots did not immediately give the Gold Coast independence.

However, they greatly accelerated political change.

Before the riots, demands for self-government were already growing.

After the disturbances, British authorities recognised that important political and constitutional problems could no longer be ignored.

The riots therefore became a major turning point in the struggle that eventually led to Ghana’s independence in 1957.

🔍 What Was the Watson Commission?

Following the disturbances, a commission of enquiry was established to investigate them.

This became known as the Watson Commission, named after its chairman, Aiken Watson.

Its task was to investigate the disturbances and their underlying causes and recommend what should be done.

❓ Why Was the Watson Commission Established?

The colonial government needed answers to important questions:

• Why had the disturbances occurred?
• What conditions had produced such widespread anger?
• Was the existing political system adequate?
• What changes could prevent similar disturbances?

The Commission was therefore asked to examine both the immediate events and the deeper causes of the unrest.

🔎 Investigation of the 1948 Disturbances

The Commission collected information and testimony from different sections of Gold Coast society.

It examined political, economic and social grievances connected with the disturbances.

This was important because the riots could not be understood simply by studying the shooting itself.

The Commission needed to understand why that shooting had produced such widespread unrest.

📋 Major Findings

The Watson Commission recognised that there was serious dissatisfaction in the Gold Coast and that important political changes were needed.

One major conclusion associated with its work was that the existing 1946 Constitution was inadequate for the political needs and expectations of the people.

This was significant because constitutional reform became increasingly difficult for the colonial government to resist.

🏛️ Recommendations and Constitutional Change

The Watson Commission’s work helped create pressure for a new constitutional arrangement.

A further body, the Coussey Committee, was later established to make more detailed proposals for constitutional reform.

These developments eventually contributed to a new constitution that increased African participation in government.

The process was gradual:

1948 Riots

⬇️

Watson Commission

⬇️

Demand for Constitutional Reform

⬇️

Coussey Committee

⬇️

Further Political Change

⬇️

Progress Towards Self-Government

The Watson Commission therefore became an important link between the riots and later constitutional developments.

🌟 Importance of the Watson Commission

The Commission was important because it:

• Investigated the causes of the disturbances.
• Drew attention to widespread dissatisfaction.
• Questioned the adequacy of the existing constitutional arrangements.
• Encouraged further constitutional reform.
• Helped strengthen the movement towards greater African participation in government.

Its work did not itself grant independence, but it helped move constitutional development forward.

🧠 Think About It

Suppose someone says:

“The 1948 riots happened only because three soldiers were shot.”

Is that completely accurate?

No.

The shooting was the immediate trigger, but deeper dissatisfaction already existed.

Issues such as economic hardship, political exclusion, unemployment and frustration with colonial government had created conditions in which one major incident could produce widespread unrest.

This distinction between an immediate cause and underlying causes is very important.

🔄 From Protest to Political Change

The events can be understood as a chain:

Ex-servicemen had grievances

⬇️

Peaceful march on 28 February

⬇️

Three ex-servicemen were shot

⬇️

Riots and disturbances spread

⬇️

Colonial authorities investigated

⬇️

Watson Commission established

⬇️

Need for constitutional reform recognised

⬇️

Nationalist movement strengthened

⬇️

Independence struggle accelerated

🏅 Remembering the Three Ex-Servicemen

The names of the three men killed on 28 February 1948 occupy an important place in Ghanaian history:

Sergeant Adjetey

Corporal Attipoe

Private Odartey Lamptey

Their deaths became closely connected with the political events that helped accelerate the struggle against colonial rule.

📌 Key Words

Ex-Servicemen: Former members of the armed forces.

Accra Riots: Disturbances that began in Accra following the shooting of ex-servicemen on 28 February 1948.

Nationalism: Strong support for the interests and political independence of one’s nation.

Watson Commission: The commission of enquiry established to investigate the 1948 disturbances and their underlying causes.

Constitutional Reform: Changes made to the rules and structures by which a country is governed.

UGCC: United Gold Coast Convention, an important nationalist political organisation in the Gold Coast.

Independence: Freedom of a country from colonial or external rule.

📝 Lesson Summary

The 1948 Accra Riots began after unarmed ex-servicemen marched towards Christiansborg Castle on 28 February 1948 to present their grievances. Colonial police stopped the march, and Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey were killed.

The shooting triggered widespread disturbances, but deeper causes included economic hardship, unemployment and growing dissatisfaction with colonial rule.

The riots strengthened nationalist activity and forced the colonial authorities to examine conditions in the Gold Coast more seriously.

The Watson Commission, chaired by Aiken Watson, was established to investigate the disturbances and their underlying causes. Its work highlighted weaknesses in the existing political arrangements and contributed to the movement towards constitutional reform.

The riots and the Commission therefore became important milestones in the political developments that eventually led to Ghana’s independence.

🎯 Let’s Practise!

A. Multiple Choice

1. What was the main purpose of the ex-servicemen’s march on 28 February 1948?

A. To demand the immediate removal of all British officials
B. To present grievances concerning benefits and conditions to the colonial authorities
C. To support European traders during the boycott
D. To establish a new political party

2. Which three ex-servicemen were killed during the shooting?

A. Adjetey, Attipoe and Odartey Lamptey
B. Danquah, Ako-Adjei and Nkrumah
C. Adjetey, Nkrumah and Attipoe
D. Odartey Lamptey, Ofori Atta and Akufo-Addo

3. Why were the 1948 disturbances more than a reaction to the shooting alone?

A. The ex-servicemen had already planned to overthrow the government.
B. The colonial government had already agreed to immediate independence.
C. Wider economic and political dissatisfaction already existed in the Gold Coast.
D. The riots were mainly caused by disagreement among nationalist leaders.

4. Why was the Watson Commission established?

A. To organise the Gold Coast’s first independence election
B. To investigate the disturbances, their underlying causes and possible responses
C. To take over the work of the UGCC
D. To punish the ex-servicemen who took part in the march

5. Which statement BEST explains the importance of the Watson Commission?

A. It immediately granted independence to the Gold Coast.
B. It ended all nationalist political activity.
C. It helped expose weaknesses in existing political arrangements and encouraged constitutional reform.
D. It replaced the colonial government with an African government.

B. True or False

6. The march by the ex-servicemen on 28 February 1948 was intended to present their grievances to the colonial authorities. ________

7. The Watson Commission concluded that no major political changes were necessary in the Gold Coast. ________

8. The 1948 riots helped accelerate Ghana’s movement towards constitutional reform and independence. ________

C. Short Answer

9. Explain four effects of the 1948 Accra Riots.

10. Explain four ways the Watson Commission contributed to the independence movement and constitutional development of the Gold Coast.

Answers: 1 B | 2 A | 3 C | 4 B | 5 C | 6 True | 7 False | 8 True