A History of Modern Africa

This lecture offers a survey of African history from the imposition of European colonial rule in the late nineteenth century to the present day. In some ways this is an insurmountable task: the continent is vast, diverse, and its histories are numerous. However, by moving chronologically and trans-regionally, we can trace some of the most influential elements of African history since 1800, including the end of the trade in enslaved people, the 1885 Berlin/Congo Conference, the independence movements of the mid-twentieth century, and the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Our main themes will include movement and exchange; cultural and religious interaction; various forms of community-creation and/or state-making; and the multitude of historical imprints left by African communities. We will come to see how the history of the continent has been determined by a combination of inside and outside forces, and the power of people to respond to those forces over time and space. By the end of the course, you will have a broad knowledge of this period of African history as well as the tools to engage more deeply both with that history and with contemporary questions facing the continent.

Þ    Robert Harms’ Africa in Global History (2018)

Þ    Trevor Getz and Liz Clarke, Abina and the Important Men

Þ    Teju Cole, Every Day is For the Thief

Þ    Wangari Maathai, Unbowed