This course surveys the history of Africa from the beginnings of human civilization to the present. Africa is home to one of the earliest cradles of civilization and, at present, 54 sovereign nations. Over 1.2 billion people live there and together, they speak more than 2,000 languages. Given this vast swath of time and experiences, this course can not be comprehensive; instead, it is structured to offer a deep dive into topics crucial to understanding Africa's past and its peoples. It begins by asking to students to consider how we know what we know about African history and cultures. In its second section, it addresses the origins of humanity and the development of early technologies before continuing on through the rise of kingdoms and empires. From there, it turns to Africa's incorporation into the modern global system with the growth of slave trade networks and the ensuing diaspora. The fourth section takes up the spread of colonization and responses to it, the results of which take root in a broad range of independence movements. The course concludes with a study of contemporary African identities.
Prerequisites
College Writing (LITC-100).