The history of this ethnic group is that of brave warriors who managed to create a thriving often influential and relatively independent state within modern-day Ghana.

Thus, during the second half of the 17th century the area which became Ghana was dominated by three states the Remnants of Adansi(Ashanti), Denkyera, Guans, Dagons, Anlos, Ga, Fante, Akyem and Akwamu.

[3] The rising Ashanti Kingdom flourished under the leadership of Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu, and during their ascendancy assimilated the once powerful Denkyira into the growing empire in the early 18th century.

However, it was during the reign of Nana Ofori Panin that the capital of Akyem Abuakwa was finally moved to "Kyebirie" (named after a black hat used by a hunter using the area as his hunting grounds).

The victory opened up trade between the Akyem - a nation described as having some of the largest gold deposits - and Europeans on the coast.

[4] During the reign of the great warrior king (Adontehene) of the Akyems, Nana Owusu Akyem Tenten, who was also known as the "Kwae-Bibirimhene" (King of the Dense Forest), the Guan ethnic group and the Dawu ethnic group appealed to him for help to drive the Akwamus out of their area for them to enjoy peace.

Nana Owusu Akyem Tenten (King of the Dense Forest) agreed to send his nephew a respected soldier, Odehyee Safori, with an army.

J. K. Fynn writes:[3] The Asante bid for supremacy, however was violently opposed by older Akans states whose kings refused to accept the pretensions and claims of what they considered an upstart dynasty.

This was demonstrated by helping the Ada, who were being oppressed by the Anlo, and defeating them in the battle of Nonombe around 1752,[5][6] In 1742, Opoku Ware I conquered the Akyem states of Abuakwa and Kotoku.

[7] Around the mid-18th century, the Akyem formed an alliance with the Wassa, Denkyira, Twifo and Fante to check against Ashanti expansion towards the coast.

A common saying among the Akans is, “Okyenhene nko ara na Osantehene ne no di nsawoso”, meaning literally: “The King of Ashanti treats none but the King of Akyem on familiar terms.” This is due to the fact that the Akyem were strong and relatively independent during the peak of the Ashanti empire when compared to neighbours.

[1][page needed] Post-1816 the Akyem enjoyed relative peace in their current location today and all of what became Ghana was under British rule by the early 20th century.

History has it that during the reign of the famous Nana Dokua (Abirie) as both okyehene (king) and ohemaa (queenmother), a quarrel arose between her and the Kotokuhene at that time.

They settled on it under the leadership and rule of their chief, Nana Kwaku Boateng, calling the area New Juaben, with Koforidua as its capital.

An annual fee was agreed to be paid to the Akyem this practice continued until Dr. Kwame Nkrumah abolished it after independence.

[citation needed] Pre and post colonially, the Akyem have been very involved in the intellectual and pan-African ideology that made Ghana unique among its peers.

This area is in the tropical rain forest with fertile river valleys, deep loamy soil, and fresh fauna.

The products from the Akyems land and river are symbols which are used to remember ancestors who struggled and persevered to keep the society intact.

The Ohum festival is celebrated with the chief and people of Akyem Tafo visiting the Gyempremo shrine to perform rituals and make sacrifices to the deity.

On the Ohum Tuesday, it is forbidden to make any noise including the pounding of fufu, the main staple diet of the Akan people till dusk.