THE CHRONOLOGY OF AFRICAN HISTORY 1450 – 1750
17th
Century
Portuguese influence in West Africa increased local courts’ powers and militarization
of society, decreased matrilineal roles and the influence of rural free women
17th Century
European rivalry led to founding of trading posts along West African coast
17th Century
Rise of Oyo (Yoruba) sparks warfare and feeds slave trade by destroying other states
1600
Slave trade is greatest commerce along West African coast; 70% of slaves were males;
women captured retained as slaves by Africans, encouraging patriarchy, polygamy
1629
Introduction of corn, tobacco, manioc, pigs, sweet potatoes, coconuts to West and
Central Africa increased yields, bettered nutrition, increased population
1652
Dutch East India Company establishes colony in South Africa, people are called Boers
1672
60% of all trade goods going into West Africa were textiles, 30% hardware & weapons
1675
Rise of Red Sea trade including coffee exports; increased Arab presence in area
18th
Early
Century
Central Africa: states’ and rulers’ power based on clientship, wars, trade in salt, iron
hoes, copper, religious cults based on royal power
18th Century
Rise of new centers of commerce, expansion of literacy with Islamization of the Sahel
18th Century
83% of all slaves (6 million) out of Africa ended up on the Trans-Atlantic route
1700 – 1720
Rise of Kingdoms of Asante, Dahomey in West Africa based on sale of slaves , weapons
1729
1730 - 1750
1750s
Portuguese driven out of East Africa by Swahili, competition from Oman in Arabia
Peanuts, cotton introduced in West Africa
Portuguese make grants of land in Mozambique to European settlers
1795
British seize Cape Colony from the Dutch; results in Boer trek to interior, 1834 – 1850
1807
British abolish slave trade; coastal trade shifts to tropical products (palm oil, cotton,
peanuts); led to peasant revolution in West Africa; rise of African farmers, merchants;
in face of rising demand for agriculture products, African societies increase slavery
1859
First indentured Indian laborers arrive in South Africa due to black labor shortage
1854
Discovery of quinine prevents malaria, allows Europeans to penetrate interior of Africa
1869
Suez Canal opened in Egypt; new wealth from trade, expansion of cotton trade allows
new irrigation canals, railroads, postal system, rebuilding of Cairo begins
1870 – 1890s
Mining of diamonds, gold, copper transform political economy of Southern Africa,
commercialized agriculture, started migrant labor to work mines, increased missions,
led to conquest of African states. White population increases to one million settlers
1870 – 1898
Rivalry by Germany, France, UK, Italy, Belgium and Portugal to claim Africa
1860s - 1870s
Livingstone exploration of Central Africa; Belgians using machine guns, rifles, steam
boats create private empire in Congo for King of Belgium to monopolize ivory, rubber
Late 1880s
Rise of personal empires of traders, porters by Bantu in East Africa using capital from
Indian bankers, western firearms; supply ivory, slaves; widespread devastation, misery
1890s – 1920s Era of railroad building from coastal ports to interior begins; no unified rail system
1895
French unify West African colonies into one government to promote direct rule
1896
Ethiopians defeat Italian army; Ethiopia, Liberia remain only two independent nations
1899
Portuguese labor law: Africans had a moral obligation to work including corvee labor,
wage labor; common throughout most European colonies
1903
UK established protectorates over Nigeria retaining local administration (indirect rule)
1914 – 1918
World War I includes campaigns in Africa; Africans serve abroad; troops use common
language, learned Europeans were not invincible; German colonies become mandates
1914 – 1939
Export of primary products increased five times in value, volume (coffee, cocoa,
peanuts); Africans favor farming over working in factories
1920s – 1930s Strikes, boycotts, collective action by African workers, rise of socialism, unions
1929
Great Depression destroys export markets of colonies, widespread hardship, disruptions
1939 – 1945
World War II; African troops serve with Allies; stimulated independence feelings
1945 – 1970
Economic growth in Central, South Africa stimulated by export of rare raw minerals,
petroleum; extreme nationalism, nationalizations led to foreign capital drying up
1957 – 1975
Decolonization begins with Ghana; leaders become revolutionary, alienate West, court
Soviet Union; western investment disappears; price of primary commodities drops, little
or no development; common occurrence in Africa; Portugal is last nation to decolonize
1960 – 1993
Rapid urbanization across continent places strain on housing, health, infrastructure
1970s – 1990s Shortage of money, balance of payment deficits lead to World Bank interventions
1994 – 2005 Uneven democratization continues in West, South Africa; little industrial growth