Africa, often called the 'dark continent', is the world's most misunderstood place. This course is meant to shed light on Africa's rich, interesting and complex modern history. The crises that seem to cripple African politics today are shaped by the economic, political and social changes that attended the 19th and 20th century. Any student of political science, economics, psychology, business or literature who wishes to understand Africa must first study its history, for that history sets the stage for the present.

The course focuses on a few selected regions: the village of Niumi on the Gambia River; the village of Magomero in modern Malawi; Kenya; and South Africa. Using these case studies, we will examine how wide-ranging processes--the slave trade, colonial rule, African nationalism, independence--transformed the social and political lives of African people. In the last part of the course we will narrow the focus to study human rights in contemporary Africa. Using a detailed study of a recent court trial in Kenya, we’ll explore the tensions between “customary” marital arrangements and women’s rights.

This course is meant to teach you how to do the work of historical analysis for yourself. Each week, you will be asked to read and analyze a set of “primary” documents dealing with issues addressed in lectures. During the term you'll write three short essays and one long essay in response to questions that I pose. By the end of the course, I'll hope you'll have learned how to interpret evidence, synthesize disparate sources, and create compelling arguments about the relation between past and present.

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