Historical Consciousness and Contemporary Significance: A Narrative-Analytical Study of Colonial Memory in Cape Coast, Ghana

Specifically, this study explored the perceptions and collective memories regarding Ghana's colonial past among individuals, ways colonial memories are preserved and transmitted and the current effects of colonial rule in Ghana. This study employed qualitative research method and through a purposive sampling technique a sample of 12 participants were interviewed and the data was thematically analyzed. With regard to the findings, this study found that Ghanaians perception and collective memory of their colonial past are dominated by the slave trade and its impacts, loss of freedom and exploitation, and historical injustice and hindrance to development. Again, this study found that oral traditions and storytelling, historical sites as educational tools and written historical accounts are key mechanisms for preserving and transmitting Ghanaian colonial collective memory. Finally, this study found that colonialism left a mixed legacy with both positive and negative outcomes. It is therefore recommended that educational curricula should incorporate a balanced and nuanced narrative of colonial history to help in acknowledging both the negative impacts and the contributions to the nation’s development. This study concludes that Ghanaians’ perceptions and collective memory of their colonial past are profoundly shaped by the impacts of slavery, historical injustices and the dual legacies of colonialism, highlighting both its advancements and detriments.”