HIST 246 Modern Africa, 1400-Present

This course surveys the major political, economic, social, and cultural contours of the African past from 1400 to the present. Emphasis will be placed on developments in Africa, as opposed to those within the African diaspora. With a chronological and thematic approach, the course seeks not the mastery of specific national and regional histories but rather an introduction to the major ideas, actors, and events that have shaped the continent’s past. The course also examines connections between the African past and present and seeks what historian Frederick Cooper calls the “past of the present.” Students begin their work with a discussion of the issues confronting contemporary Africa before surveying the continent’s history from the development of the slave trade through colonialism and decolonization. Through lectures, films and a variety of African and non-African primary and secondary reading, students will consider not only developments within Africa but also the nature of Africa’s contributions to the global past. This work invites students to challenge traditional western readings of African history by encountering Africans as important historical actors on a diverse global stage.

Credits

3.0

Core

Developing Informed Viewpoints

Offered

Offered As Needed