Second Anglo-Ashanti war begins

Background. The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of conflicts between the Ashanti Empire and the British Empire. Prior to 1863, tensions persisted over Ashanti claims to sovereignty over the Gold Coast and the right to collect tribute from coastal peoples. A treaty signed by Dupuis was denounced at the time as "a complete sell-out" because it recognised the Ashanti claim to collect tribute from the coastal peoples and renounced the British claim to protect them from Ashanti raids. Disputes over trade and protection rights remained unresolved.

Outbreak. In 1863, a large Ashanti force crossed the Pra River in search of a fugitive, Kwesi Gyana. This movement triggered the Second Anglo-Ashanti war. The conflict involved the Ashanti Empire and the British Empire, continuing the pattern of earlier wars on the Gold Coast. The war concluded in 1864 with a stalemate, reflecting the unresolved nature of the territorial and political disputes.