In 1852 the British instituted a poll tax of 1 shilling per man, woman and child. Labadi, Osu, Teshie and other Ga villages refused to pay and on September 13, 1854 they were bombarded by the British warship the HMS Scourge, during the celebration of the annual Homowo Festival. The townspeople also resisted attempts by the British to make land a commodity, to be bought and sold. Their resistance did not change the course of history.
On September 13, 1854, Osu Labadi and Teshie were bombarded by the British