Yaa Asantewaa’s Legacy in Kumasi: History, Sites, and Cultural Impact

Yaa Asantewaa is one of the most respected figures in Ghana’s history. As Queen Mother of Ejisu, she led her people during the 1900 War of the Golden Stool.

Her bravery left a deep mark on Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom and center of its political and spiritual life.

Her actions continue to shape how we understand resistance, leadership, and culture. From monuments to schools, her story lives on.

Understanding the Ashanti Empire and Its Colonial Challenges

The Birth of an Empire

The Ashanti Empire was founded in the late 1600s by Osei Tutu and his spiritual advisor Okomfo Anokye.

They united several Akan states and introduced the Golden Stool as a symbol of unity.

Kumasi became the capital, and the Ashanti expanded their territory through military strategy and control of trade in gold, ivory, and kola.

British Invasion and Resistance

Tensions grew between the Ashanti and the British as colonial ambitions increased. The Fomena Treaty in 1874 weakened Ashanti power.

The British annexed the empire in 1902 after a series of Anglo-Ashanti Wars. But the Ashanti never accepted full British control.

The demand for the Golden Stool by British Governor Frederick Hodgson in 1900 was a final insult, triggering a new wave of resistance.

The exile of Asantehene Prempeh I in 1896 left a leadership vacuum across the kingdom, especially in Kumasi.

The Life and Leadership of Yaa Asantewaa

Her Early Years in Ejisu

Yaa Asantewaa was born around 1840 in the town of Besease, located in the Ejisu District of the Ashanti Empire.

She was the eldest of two children born to Kwaku Ampoma and Ata Po in a matrilineal society. She grew up during a time of change and conflict, which shaped her commitment to justice.

Her daily life involved farming, household responsibilities, and taking part in community rituals. These ordinary activities taught her discipline and a strong sense of responsibility from a young age.

How She Became Queen Mother

Her path to leadership formed when her brother, Nana Akwasi Afrane Opese, became chief of Ejisu.

As his trusted advisor, she was named Queen Mother, a position with both political and spiritual responsibility.

After his death, she stepped in as the de facto leader of Ejisu, guiding the town during a period of political unrest and colonial pressure.

Yaa Asantewaa was the Queen Mother of Ejisu, one of the towns in the Ashanti Kingdom. While she was an Ohemaa within the kingdom, she was not the Ashanti Kingdom’s paramount Queen Mother.

Many assume she held that role because of her strong leadership during the 1900 war.

As Queen Mother, she also played a spiritual role, guarding traditions tied to the land, fertility, and ancestral rites in Ejisu.

She later became known by a praise name given in Ashanti oral tradition:
“The Queen who fends for both the mother and the child; the mighty tree with big branches laden with fruits and from which children find their satisfaction for their hunger.”

This title reflected how her leadership supported the entire community. In Ashanti culture, calling someone a tree with fruit means they help many people grow and survive.

The 1900 War of the Golden Stool

What Led to the War

In 1900, British Governor Frederick Hodgson demanded to sit on the sacred Golden Stool. This stool was never meant to be seen or touched by outsiders.

It represented the soul of the Ashanti nation. His demand was seen as deeply offensive. While many Ashanti chiefs hesitated, Yaa Asantewaa rose to speak.

She said: “If you, the men of Ashanti, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields.”

Her words moved the chiefs into action. The war began soon after, with Yaa Asantewaa leading the charge.

How Yaa Asantewaa Led the Fight

Under her leadership, Ashanti forces made key strategic moves:

• Building Defensive Stockades: They set up blockades on major roads to cut British supply lines and restrict movement. These barriers were often heavily fortified, making it difficult for the British to advance.
• Targeting Kumasi Fort: Yaa Asantewaa’s forces surrounded the British fort in Kumasi, laying siege for weeks. This tactic wasn’t just symbolic. It was a calculated attempt to reclaim control of the capital.
• Ambushes in Dense Terrain: They used the natural landscape to trap British troops. Familiar with the forests, the Ashanti fighters could strike British detachments and retreat before they could regroup.

Even without formal military training, her leadership turned the conflict into a drawn-out struggle rather than a quick defeat.

What Happened After the War

By early 1901, British reinforcements broke the siege. Yaa Asantewaa, along with Asantehene Prempeh I and several other leaders, was captured and exiled to Seychelles.

In 1902, the Ashanti Kingdom was declared a British Crown Colony. Still, the Golden Stool was never found or captured. Ashanti elders had hidden it, protecting the heart of the kingdom’s identity.

Though the war was lost, her courage strengthened the Ashanti identity and left a story that continues to inspire.

Her actions gave her people something even greater than a military victory: pride and a lasting sense of identity.

Yaa Asantewaa died in exile on October 17, 1921. During her time in Seychelles, she was baptized and took the Christian name Elizabeth.

Though far from home, she remained a powerful symbol of Ashanti resistance. Her baptism reflected both the isolation of exile and the shifts that came with it.

Her remains were returned and buried in Ejisu in 1924, three years later, after the exiled Asante court was allowed to come back home.

Honoring Yaa Asantewaa Across the Ashanti Region Today

Monuments and Memorials

In Kumasi, Ejisu, and across the Ashanti Region, her memory is honored through cultural sites and events.

While not officially marked on the national calendar, a number of local festivals and school-based celebrations pay tribute to her legacy, especially in and around Ejisu.

Oral Traditions and Historical Imagery

Traditional songs like Koo koo hin koo, Yaa Asantewaa ee are still sung in parts of the Ashanti Region, especially in schools and festivals.

The phrase mimics a rallying drumbeat, followed by a call to Yaa Asantewaa. It’s often used in oral storytelling to stir pride and remember her bravery.

Though passed down orally, they preserve her story across generations.

One widely shared photo shows a woman standing in traditional war attire, holding a spear and wearing a head wrap.

While many believe this is Yaa Asantewaa, others argue it is not. No confirmed photo of her exists, and the identity of the woman in this image remains unverified.

The historic images shown in this post include members of the exiled Ashanti royal court in Seychelles between 1900 and 1924.

While Yaa Asantewaa was part of this group, none of the figures are officially identified as her. Still, these images remain symbolic and continue to be used as visual reminders of her strength.

A Living Legacy

Yaa Asantewaa’s legacy also lives on through Nana Yaa Asantewaa II, the current Queen Mother of Ejisu. Enstooled in 2000, she represents a living continuation of that legacy.

Through public service, youth initiatives, and cultural advocacy, she upholds the same values of justice and pride her namesake championed.

The name Yaa Asantewaa is still proudly carried by many girls today. You might even have a Yaa Asantewaa in your family.

Education and Empowerment

Yaa Asantewaa’s legacy continues to shape how girls are empowered in the Ashanti Region today through:

• Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School: A top-performing all-girls institution located in Tanoso, a suburb of Kumasi. Founded in 1960, its motto, Obra ne woara bɛyɛ ɔnwenefoɔ (“Life is what you make of it”), reflects her spirit of resilience.
• Community Programs: Organizations across the region use her story to guide scholarship programs, advocacy work, and creative arts focused on women and youth development. Efforts tied to her legacy continue to inspire young women through education, cultural storytelling, and commemorative programs linked to her name or example.

Visiting Sites Tied to Yaa Asantewaa in Kumasi and Ejisu

Manhyia Palace Museum

Located in Kumasi, this museum was once the royal residence. It features a life-size statue of Yaa Asantewaa and displays on Ashanti royalty and resistance.

Visitors can learn about the Golden Stool and see items connected to colonial struggles.

Ejisu: Museum, Statue, Burial Site, and Heritage Trail

In Ejisu, you can visit the Yaa Asantewaa Museum, rebuilt after a fire.

Her statue, once located near the town center, was removed during road construction and will now be reinstated as part of restoration efforts.

Her burial site nearby offers a moment to reflect on her legacy. A memorial heritage trail is under construction at her gravesite in Besease, Ejisu.

The Asantehene helped launch the ongoing project in 2024. When completed, it will help visitors trace the key moments of her life and leadership.

A website that seems to support this project, but it still seems to be under construction. Hopefully, it will be updated soon so readers can check back for more information.

If you’re visiting these places, you’re not just seeing landmarks. You’re stepping into stories that have shaped the Ashanti Region for over a century.

These projects also create jobs and help oral storytelling find a home in modern spaces.

Why Her Legacy Still Speaks to Us

Yaa Asantewaa’s leadership during one of the most challenging times in Ashanti history shows what it means to stand for your people.

Her fight may not have stopped colonization, but it kept the spirit of the Ashanti alive.

Today, the Ashanti Region honors her not just with buildings and festivals, but by living out her values of courage, justice, and pride.

Whether you’re walking through Ejisu, learning in Kumasi, or just curious about history, her story calls you to ask: What are you willing to protect?