HIS308: Precolonial Africa

This course introduces students to the complexity and dynamism of the African past, from antiquity to the dawn of the 20th century. The course begins with an examination of the Nile Valley civilizations in antiquity, the historical debates surrounding that era and the advent of Christianity in North Africa. Students then study the rise of Islam in Africa and the West African empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai. Next, students examine the role played by slavery in the creation of the Atlantic World. The course ends with an analysis of the dynamics of the cultural clash that ensued from the European colonization of Africa.