An Analysis of the Role of African Colonial Civil Servants in the End of the 19th Century

the Case of the Gold Coast Colony, British West Africa

Abstract

This paper discusses the change in the relationship between African Elites and British colonial government at the turn of the century. It elucidates the role of Africans who served in the colonial government (African colonial civil servants) in British West Africa, especially in the Gold Coast Colony (now southern part of Ghana) from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century.
There are many Africans who were employed by and played an important role in the colonial government until the end of the 19th century, and the British colonial government recognized the importance of these Africans in the administration. One of the reasons why a lot of Africans were employed during this period was the very severe conditions in which the Europeans found themselves, including sickness, money shortages, and a typical European lack of knowledge about local affairs etc. Considering this fact, we can assert that for a better understanding of the whole Partition of Africa period, it is necessary for us to pay attention not only to the African resistance to colonial powers but also to the roles of African colonial civil servants.
In addition, the switch in British policy and its influences at the turn of the century made educated Africans, some of whom had become civil servants, foster a sense of solidarity beyond the idea of “tribe”. That subsequently lead to Pan-Africanism and anti-colonialism, both of which are important subjects in the 20th century African history.