Conclusion
In conclusion, we would like to state that the fact that even though an implicit sense of “Ghanaian” (people that shared similar culture, language, music and religion) existed before colonialism, the changing conditions especially during the third and fourth waves of movements formation in Ghana made this sense of “Ghanaianness” explicit. Organizing at a time where democratic dispensation and the loss of political and economic goodwill characterized relationships between the colonial master and the colonized, especially in Africa, actions of pre-independent movements were affected by these developments. Pre-independent cognitive practices were conditioned by historical, cultural and political developments in the country and around the world especially the Asantes resistance to British rule and the Second World War. Histories of Asante and British relations raised cultural, social and political consciousness among the general population. It provided a reference point for resistance and anti-colonial consciousness, informed tactic and repertoires adopted by earlier social movements. The second, third and fourth phases of struggles represented the transition from old to new social movements. Not only did they lead to building a national consciousness but also served as training ground for young activists who later led independent struggles that finally gave Ghana its independence from the British. Pre-independent movements reflected the shift in focus from a material to cultural and communal focus as the driving force in cognitive practice among these movements. Movement intellectuals constituted a major part of the political and social consciousness in the development of human knowledge during this period in Ghana’s history. British local educated intellectuals like Kwame Nkrumah presented a different phase to activism as they navigated the use of diplomacy and limited violence in the process.