Speaker Alban Bagbin (Right) holding the bond with Juliette Desplat of the British National Archives
The British National Archives has presented an authentic copy of ‘The Bond of 1844’ to the Parliament of Ghana.
The document is widely regarded as one of the foundational texts in the country’s colonial and constitutional evolution.
The presentation took place on July 26, 2025, during a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, by Juliette Desplat, Head of International Affairs at the British National Archives, and Keith McMahon, Chargé d’Affaires of the British High Commission.
In his remarks, Speaker Bagbin expressed his gratitude to the British government for the gesture, describing it as a proud and meaningful milestone.
“It is a historic moment for me and for the people of Ghana. This document captures an important part of the development of Ghana,” he said.
He further noted that, as part of efforts to preserve Ghana’s rich political and constitutional history, Parliament has established a museum.
Speaker Bagbin added that the newly received Bond of 1844 would be displayed there for public education and historical reference.
Also present at the meeting were the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga; the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin; and the Clerk to Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, among other senior officials.
Brief history about ‘The Bond of 1844’
The Bond of 1844 was a treaty signed on March 6, 1844, between officials of the British colonial administration and a group of Fante chiefs in what is now southern Ghana.
The agreement marked the formal beginning of British legal and administrative influence in the region, paving the way for the establishment of the British Gold Coast colony.
Under the bond, the Fante chiefs agreed to abide by British laws and protect trade routes, while the British pledged to uphold justice and protect local customs, provided they were not “repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience.”
While the Bond did not signify full colonisation, it became a turning point that laid the groundwork for subsequent British control over the territory, eventually leading to the formation of the Gold Coast colony and later the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.
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