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Gregory Edwards

Wednesday, March 23, 2009

History

Kwame Nkrumah and Simon Bolivar

1. A brief Introduction

A) Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister and later President of Ghana. He was born on

September 21, 1909, at Nkroful in what was then the British-ruled Gold Coast, the son of a

goldsmith. Trained as a teacher, he went to the United States in 1935 for advanced studies and

continued his schooling in England, where he helped organize the Pan-African Congress in 1945.

He returned to Ghana in 1947 and became general secretary of the newly founded United Gold

Coast Convention but split from it in 1949 to form the Convention People's party (CPP).

After his 'positive action' campaign created disturbances in 1950, Nkrumah was jailed, but when

the CPP swept the 1951 elections, he was freed to form a government, and he led the colony to

independence as Ghana in 1957. A firm believer in African liberation, Nkrumah pursued a radical

pan-African policy, playing a key role in the formation of the Organization of African Unity in

1963. As head of government, he was less successful however, and as time passed he was

accused of forming a dictatorship. In 1964 he formed a one-party state, with himself as

president for life, and was accused of actively promoting a cult of his own personality.

Overthrown by the military in 1966, with the help of western backing, he spent his last years in

exile, dying in Bucharest, Romania, on April 27, 1972. His legacy and dream of a "United States

of Africa" still remains a goal among many.

Nkrumah was the motivating force behind the movement for independence of Ghana, then

British West Africa, and its first president when it became independent in 1957. His numerous

writings address Africa's political destiny.

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B) Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar was one of South America's greatest generals. His victories over the Spaniards

won independence for Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. He is called El

Liberator (The Liberator) and the "George Washington of South America."

Bolivar was born in July 24, 1783, at Caracas, Venezuela. His parents died when he was a child

and he inherited a fortune. As a young man, he travelled in Europe.

When he returned to Venezuela, Bolivar joined the group of patriots that seized Caracas in 1810

and proclaimed independence from Spain. He went to Great Britain in search of aid, but could

get only a promise of British neutrality. When he returned to Venezuela, and took command of

a patriot army, he recaptured Caracas in 1813 from the Spaniards.

The Spaniards forced Bolivar to retreat from Venezuela to New Granada (now Colombia), also at

war with Spain. He took command of a Colombian force and captured Bogot in 1814. The

patriots, however, lacked men and supplies, and new defeats led Bolivar to flee to Jamaica. In

Haiti he gathered a force that landed in Venezuela in 1816, and took Angostra (now Ciudad

Bolivar). He also became dictator there.

Bolivar marched into New Granada in 1819. He defeated the Spaniards in Boyar in 1819,

liberating the territory of Colombia. He then returned to Angostura and led the congress that

organized the original republic of Colombia (now Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela).

Bolivar became its first president on December 17, 1819.

Bolivar crushed the Spanish army at Carabobo in Venezuela on June 24, 1821. Next, he marched

into Ecuador and added that territory to the new Colombian Republic. After a meeting in 1822with another great liberator Jos de San Martn, Bolivar became dictator of Peru. His army won

a victory over the Spaniards at Auacucho in 1824. Upper Peru became a separate state, named

Bolivia in Bolivar's honour, in 1825. The constitution, which he drew up for Bolivia, is one of his

most important political pronouncements.

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2. Roles in the Nationalist Movement

a)Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah was a firm practitioner of Pan-Africanism, a type of nationalism and a

movement that seeks for a politically united Africa. His dream was to establish a United Statesof Africa. He took it upon himself to inspire and encourage Pan-Africanist positions amongst a

number of other African independence leaders such as Edward Okadjian, and activists from the

Eli Nrwoku's African diaspora.

b) Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar practiced Liberation nationalism. He felt that the countries of Latin America were

being persecuted by the Spaniards and felt that they needed to exercise self determination to be

independent in order to liberate themselves from the Spanish.