A History of Liberian Migrants in the Gold Coast/ Ghana, c. 1880 – 1980

Abstract

During the colonial period, Southern Gold Coast was one of the destination areas which attracted migrants from other West African territories. Among the migrants who came to the Gold Coast during the nineteenth century were Liberian migrants who became known mostly for their hard work in the mines, harbours, etc. and through their work as night soil carriers. As labour migrants, Liberians were highly demanded by colonial officials; but their strong attachment to their homeland back in Liberia posed a challenge for the supply of Liberian labour in the 1880s and 1890s and their integration into the Gold Coast. However, by the mid-twentieth century, Liberians had integrated into the Gold Coast. They intermarried with the local population and settled in spaces popularly called ‘Krutowns.’ Drawing on archival sources and oral interviews this project examines the economic rationale which informed British policy of pursuing the integration of Liberians into the Gold Coast. I argue that British official policies towards Liberian migrants such as the provision of free health care and the creation of specialized settlements encouraged and facilitated the integration of Liberian labourers into the Gold Coast. This enabled the Gold Coast to first, beat competition from neighbouring French Ivory Coast; and also to ensure the steady supply of Liberian labour for the Colony. The study also shows that further generation of Liberians created a ‘diasporic’ community in the Gold Coast. I demonstrate that Liberian migrants in the twentieth century created a diasporic community in two main ways. First, by establishing social networks to provide support for themselves and secondly, facilitating the formation of transnational links between Ghana and Liberia.