BEFORE YOU WATCH: Experiencing Colonialism – Through a Ghanaian Lens

Use the "Three Close Reads" approach as you watch the video below.

Before you watch

Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch.

While you watch

When was the region that is today Ghana conquered by the British?
According to Ato Quayson, what was the purpose of the Customs House, and how did it help the British to make money?
How did some Ghanaians employed at the Customs House fight back?
According to Jennifer Hart, what type of transportation did the British want to put in Ghana to control the export of cocoa, and how did Ghanaian farmers seek to control trade themselves?
According to Jennifer Hart, how did the informal system of trotros (mini-bus taxis carrying people around Accra) come into being? What did the British call these trotros, and why?
What do the plaques on the walls of Holy Trinity Church tell us, according to Ato Quayson?

After you watch

Using evidence from this video, explain how various social and cultural factors impacted the development of the global economy from 1750 to 1900.
In this unit, you are encountering all kinds of evidence about how imperialism was powerful, controlling, and invasive. Does this video support or challenge that narrative?
How do the ways that Ghanaians resisted colonialism compare to the resistance you read about in the article about the 1857 revolt in India?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch. Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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