When Ashanti male chiefs hesitated to fight the British, Yaa Asantewaa stood up and said: 'If you men will not go forward, then we women will.' She then picked up a gun and led the charge herself.
The Story of Yaa Asantewaa
Yaa Asantewaa was the Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Kingdom (modern-day Ghana). By 1900, the British had captured the Ashanti king Prempeh I and exiled him to the Seychelles. When British Governor Hodgson demanded the sacred Golden Stool — the spiritual symbol of Ashanti sovereignty — be brought to him so he could sit on it, it was the ultimate insult.
Ashanti male chiefs met to debate how to respond. Many hesitated, fearing British military power. It was Yaa Asantewaa who reportedly stood up, shamed the men for their cowardice, and declared: "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 the white men."
She then reportedly picked up a rifle and fired a shot — starting the war. She became commander of the Ashanti forces, organizing sieges, coordinating supply lines, and directing military operations for months against the British.
The British ultimately suppressed the rebellion with massive reinforcements — 1,400 soldiers. Yaa Asantewaa was captured and exiled to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921. But the Golden Stool was never surrendered. It remains today in Kumasi, Ghana — a symbol of Ashanti sovereignty that a fearless old woman refused to allow the British to take.
Color Yaa's Portrait
The Alphabet Book of Generals — Who Resisted White Supremacy and Won features a full-page coloring portrait of Yaa with a color guide and fun fact. Perfect for children ages 4–12 and Black history education.
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