Africa since 1800

Prerequisite: Any two of the following: HIST 111, HIST 112, HIST 131, HIST 132, HIST 221, HIST 222; or consent of instructor Africa is a place of stunning size and diversity: the continent includes over a billion people, living in over 50 countries, speaking some 2,000 languages. Yet most Americans know very little about it. Why do most Americans know so little about Africa? How did modern Africa come to be? And how has Africa shaped the modern world? To address these questions, this course focuses on the history of Africa from 1800 through the recent past. Key themes include mobility and migration; gender; religion; empire-building and resistance; trade and labor; and nationalism and pan-Africanism. Students gain experience working with diverse primary sources, including textual sources as well as oral sources, visual sources and music. Offered alternate years.