The United Gold Coast Convention 'Big Six'
*The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was formed on this date in 1947. The UGCC was a political party aiming to bring about Ghanaian independence from their British colonizers after the Second World War.
In the 1940s, African merchants, such as George Alfred Grant and Joseph Danquah wanted to finance a political movement to ensure their commercial interests in the face of unfair colonial practices. Grant, African chiefs, academics, and lawyers founded the party. On December 10, 1947, Kwame Nkrumah accepted an invitation to become the UGCC General Secretary. Danquah and Nkrumah subsequently disagreed over the direction of the independence movement and parted ways after two years.
Nkrumah formed the Convention People's Party (C.P.P.) in 1949 and eventually became the first president of independent Ghana. A meeting between Nkrumah and party members occurred in Saltpond, a town in the Central region. The UGCC performed poorly in the 1951 elections, winning only three seats. The following year, it merged with the National Democratic Party and disaffected members of the C.P.P. to form the Ghana Congress Party.
