HIST 274Introduction to African History

This course provides an introduction to African history from antiquity to the present. The first half of the course examines issues of representation, identity, and evidence in the study of Africa's past. The second half is organized chronologically, tracing key historical processes, encounters, and ideas that have shaped the history of the continent. Students will learn about Ancient Egypt, the Mali Empire, and other precolonial societies; consider the effects of slavery and colonialism; and examine nationalism, decolonization, and postcolonial statebuilding. This course will introduce students to some of the key themes and debates in the historiography while also drawing on archival and oral sources, music, literature, and film.