Yaa Asantewaa and the Asante-British War of 1900-1

Book excerpt: The Asante-British War of 1900-01 is known outside Ghana as the war of the 'Golden Stool'. In Ghana it is known as the Yaa Asantewaa War, after the Queen of Edweso who was its principal inspiration. But while her leadership has been acknowledged in the scholarly literature, up to now her precise role in the war has been unexamined. The eminent Ghanaian historian, A. Adu Boahen, remedies this oversight in this account written for the centenary of the war. With their king and many leading chiefs already in exile, the Asante faced a new crisis in 1900 with the British Governor's demands for additional tribute and the symbolic Golden Stool. It was Nana Yaa Asantewaa who rallied Asante resistance with 'her fiery and provocative speeches and gender-conscious challenges'. A. ADU BOAHEN was Professor Emeritus of History, University of Ghana (Legon), fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts & SciencesBR> North America: Michigan State University Press; Ghana: Sub-Saharan Publishers