However, in the 18th Century the Ashanti took over control from the Akwamu and established their capital at Kumasi. By then more Europeans, Danes, British and the Dutch had arrived in the country to trade. By then, slaves as opposed to gold were the main trading commodities. The Ashanti captured the slaves and exchanged them for guns and muskets. Using the guns they were able to conquer neighboring chieftaincies thereby increasing their power and control in the region. Women and children were captured from villages and exchanged for guns and spices such as cloves. They were taken to work in plantations in Europe.

Ghana was later handed over to the British during the scramble and partition for Africa that took place in the 19th Century. In 1876, they moved the capital city which was then at Cape Coast to Accra. The kingdom became a British colony in January of 1902. It was not until 1957 that the country achieved its independence and changed its name from the Gold Coast to Ghana. The country became the first country, south of Sahara, to achieve its independence. Kwame Nkhrumah, a nationalistic leader who had helped fight for Ghana’s independence became the country’s first President.

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