For centuries the Golden Stool has been the pride of the Asantes, the unifying force of the Asante Kingdom, and a source of legitimacy for the Asantehene, the kingdom's ruler. Without it the soul of the people would be lost and the Asante Kingdom would crumble. The British, however, are on the rise in the region as an expansionist colonial power. After a series of wars, they have weakened the kingdom and made it a protectorate. With a crude understanding of the importance of the stool and what it signifies, Sir Frederick Hodgson, governor of the Gold Coast, demands it, setting off a full-scale revolt. The ensuing War of the Golden Stool is the last and best hope of the Asantes to defend the symbol of their strength and the very essence of their people.