Pre-colonial Africa encompasses ancient agrarian kingdoms (such as Egypt, Merowe, and Ghana), city-states on the shores of sea and desert, and "nations without kings," with their own, unique social and political institutions. Students will learn about the material bases of these societies, as well as their social relations and cultural production, all the while familiarizing themselves with the rich array of written, oral, linguistic, and archeological sources available to the historian of Africa. After 1500, in the era of the European expansion, large parts of Africa were incorporated into the Atlantic tropical plantation complex through the trade in enslaved people. The enormous impact on Africa of this unprecedented forced migration of Africans to the Americas from 1500 to the 1880s will constitute the concluding theme.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: None.

Distribution Requirements: HS - Historical Studies

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Not Offered