HIST 325: Colonial Africa

HIST 325: PRECOLONIAL AFRICA
Winter 2013 – TR 6:00-7:20pm, McKenzie 214 – CRN 23274 Version 1.00, 7 Jan 2013 Professor: Dr. L. F. Braun Office: 311 McKenzie Hall Telephone: x6-4838 on-campus. Email: [e-mail] Office hours: T 2:00-4:00pm & by appt. Overview and Objectives Africa is central to human history. It is the continent where our species arose, where some of the greatest ancient civilizations throve, and where dynamic, complex, and innovative cultures confronted a variety of social, political, and environmental challenges. Many African states and societies were materially wealthier than their European counterparts until the 1700s, and Africa has always been connected— however tenuously at times—to the wider world. Yet in the popular, Eurocentric historical imagination in the U.S. and Europe, there is sparse knowledge of Africa’s history, and it was rarely even considered a subject for historical study until the 1950s. For the period before European political dominion in Africa (c.1880-1960), this lack is even more pronounced. In this course we will explore the history of Africa between the 800s and the late 1800s, while at the same time discovering the
Readings marked (BB) will be on Blackboard. Other readings marked (Collins) are from the Collins sourcebook; you may find them by title.

Part I: Foundations (week 1) T Th 8 Jan 10 Jan Reading: Recommended: Introduction to the Study of Africa and African History The Very Short Course: Africa to 800 (Geography, History, & Concepts) James McCann, Green Land, Brown Land, Black Land (1999), 9-22 (BB). Pier M. Larson, “Myths about Africa, Africans …” (BB) Skim Shillington, Chapters 1-5 (1-84) as