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Noah Nelson

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

17 February 2017

Topic Proposal: A Struggle Against Imperialism...Or Not?

Introduction/Overview

This project will address imperialism in Ghana and whether or not it has had and is

having a positive or negative impact on the culture, economy and government of this great

African country. Moreover, it will examine expansion as a whole and how it plays a crucial role

in capitalism and whether or not imperialism is necessary for said expansion.

Imperialism, in a nutshell, is a policy of extending a country's power and influence

through diplomacy or military force. The imperialism process consists of the dominant politico-

economic interests of one nation seizing for their own enrichment the land, labor, raw materials,

and markets of another nation (Marxists.org). Imperialism has been the most powerful force in

world history over the last five centuries as it carves up whole continents while oppressing

natives and annihilating entire civilizations. Imperialism is a consequence of hierarchical

organization where too much power corrupts and leads to a thirst for more. In any hierarchical

society, once a person or group has obtained power in their own nation, they will start to look

outwards and look for ways to expand their influence through imperialism until they are

overthrown or encounter a more powerful opponent. The native societies in Asia and Africa had

unfair terms of trade imposed on them by European powers. In the 15th century the trade in West

Africa was a relatively even exchange of goods. Cloth, tools, wine and horses were exchanged

for gold, pepper and ivory. By the mid 16th century this trade had become entirely one-sided as
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the European powers traded decreasing quantities of weapons and iron in exchange for large

numbers of slaves (Political Archive). This underlines the fact that trade relations, as well as

conquering armies, have always been a powerful weapon in the hands of the imperialists. Almost

every well-known ancient civilization, whether it be the Egyptian pharaohs or the Aztecs and

Incas, was an imperialist power who sent armies abroad to conquer new lands. It is obvious that

imperialism has been in action and negatively affected many countries and regions for hundreds

of years, but could it be true that imperialism has left a positive footprint in these countries as

well?

The question of if imperialism is having a positive or negative effect on certain countries

such as Ghana is one that is harder to answer than one may think. When Britain first entered the

picture, Ghana was able to come away with a newly-developed system of government under the

leadership of President Kwame Nkrumah and added diversity of language and religion.

Imperialism also brought new advancements which, in turn, strengthened the economic system

for the nation. However, these are the only things that are seen on the surface by Westerners but,

after digging a little deeper (by deeper I mean reading the book My First Coup Detat by John

Dramani Mahama), I have discovered many issues surrounding imperialism. In a speech given

by Dr. Gamal Nasser Adam at the University of Ghana, he states The hostility that the

Americans and the British had towards Nkrumah was based on the fact that Nkrumah not only

understood the real nature of American and British imperialism, but more importantly, he was

prepared to confront it in Africa. And the British and Americans were also prepared to use all

means at their disposal to block or even eliminate Kwame Nkrumah. For them the stability of the

global capitalist system was at stake, and they would fight tooth, nail and claw to protect it. And

in doing this, they swore, as they have continued to do, that they would never allow any model of
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a successful alternative to neo-colonial dependency to take root or flourish. The reason is simple.

If one African country such as Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah, could simply opt out of the orbit

of the global imperialist system, and succeed at some form of independent development, what

would have prevented other African countries from following that example and shake off the

yoke of imperialist domination? In summary, Dr. Adam sheds a bright light on the absolute truth

that countries such as Britain and America will do anything to keep their power. Moreover, with

the successful elimination of Nkrumah and his policies, America and Britain were able to prevent

any future actions of African countries to shake off imperialism.

For my preliminary research, I researched articles from Political Archive and read

multiple speeches by Dr. Gamal Adam and Mr. Kwame Nkrumah himself. I also read the book

My First Coup Detat by John Dramani Mahama to get a better look at the country of Ghana

from the perspective of the current President in times of peril (although was not reelected in

2016...I will get to that). Many of the people who are debating this topic of imperialism and

whether or not it has had positive impacts in developing countries are most often only looking on

the surface for direct impacts such as governmental development or technological advances. But,

with the help of primary sources such as Ghanaians themselves, I will take a much different

stand on the topic and hopefully shed some light on what is really going on beneath the surface

and how it is affecting the individual rather than the entire nation. I have spoken to several

faculty from my high school along with friends and family. The fact that so many of them are

blind to the negative effects of imperialism has caused me to explore this topic further and gain

more in-depth perspectives on the matter. After doing this preliminary research, I have more

questions than answers which has shown me how much more complex this topic is than I

initially thought.
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Initial Inquiry Question(s)

Has the footprint of imperialistic powers been more of a struggle or more beneficial for

Ghana and why will the most powerful economic and military powers in the world continue to

twist the arm of Ghana whose leadership is striving to lift its people out of poverty and

underdevelopment? Was it just the British who left their footprint on Ghanaian regions or

were/are other countries stepping in as well? What has changed economically, politically,

culturally and religiously since imperialism has come about? How is imperialism still affecting a

more developed African country such as Ghana? What is the difference between imperialism and

neocolonialism in the context of Ghana and its situations as a whole?

My Interest in this Topic

While traveling to Ghana in the spring of 2016 for a service-learning trip, I was fortunate

enough to meet many people including Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who all live there. I was

aware that imperialism had had an effect on the people there in the past, which interested me

initially. But after asking questions to some of the people I met, it came to my attention that

imperialism was still taking place in Ghana and was a hot topic in and around the country.

Neocolonialism had taken over and other countries other than Britain had stepped in and

continued the process. I am curious to know how imperialism has affected Ghana and why other

countries felt as if they had to get a piece of the pie, too. I am eager to discover what new

companies have come about in Ghana, what resources and goods have been taken, and how all

these aspects affect the economy. I want to become more knowledgeable about imperialism and
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its lasting effects so that I can tell others about this topic and not bore them to death with only

facts and statistics.

Next Steps

In order for me to answer my inquiry questions, I must begin by researching news and

events that occurred in Ghana which will directly tell me how Ghanaian life is going from a

social standpoint along with a political and economic standpoint. I believe that researching these

types of things will be beneficial to my project in the end simply because I will have primary

knowledge that others may not know or realize exists. I will read speeches by Dr. Gamal Adam

and President Nkrumah to gain even more primary resource knowledge. Searching websites such

as Marxists, The Boston Globe, and The Institute of Policy Studies I will receive a well rounded

viewpoint on the matter and a balance of words and statistics. Finally, searching the library

database for any newspaper clippings, articles, journals and documentaries surrounding

Ghanaian life and history of imperialism will even further improve my capacity for knowledge.