SUB-SAHARAN AFR TO 1800 - HIST 05394
Fall 2008
Instructor: Matteo Salvadore
Class Schedule:
Section 1 (CRN 42572) TR 0925 1040 ROBSON 202
Section 2 (CRN 42573) TR 1215 1330 ROBSON 305
Office: History Department, Robinson Hall.
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11 to 12
Email: salvadore@rowan.edu
Phone 856-256-4500 ext3972
Course Description:
This course will look at the unfolding of the pre-modern and early-modern African experience: by using a thematic approach the
course hopes to focus on the most important issues and trends. The objective of the course is to equip students with the basic tools
necessary to make sense of events and dynamics of African history and non-Western history in general.
The course is organized in four parts:
Part 1. Understanding and Misunderstanding Africa. In this first section students will be asked to think about how Africa has
been and still is constantly misrepresented. The purpose of this course is to become aware of the clichés, misrepresentations and
downright racist ideas that Europeans in particular and westerners in general have associated with Africa since at least the early
modern period. This section should be intended as a wide-ranging introduction to the results of ethnocentric thinking and the cultural
byproducts of western expansionism. The analytical tools developed in this section will be of great use in other non-western history
courses, starting with Africa since 1800, the logical continuation of this course.
Part II. Pre-modern and Early-Modern African societies. This section examines general dynamics of historical change
between 1000 and 1500 by focusing on a limited number of key issues particularly transformative for the continent. The sessions of
this part will focus and compare African economies, dissect the relation between indigenous religions, Islam and Christianity, and
consider the role of Africa as an early protagonist of the modern world economy.
Part III. Modern Africa before colonialism. This section dissects the dynamics that defined the Afro-European system of
exchange before the establishing of Colonialism. One of the major lessons to be learned from this section is that until the 19 th century,
Afro-European relations were mostly conducted on African terms. Before the coming of modern colonialism, African societies were
developing in their own right, nations and states were being built, and change was omnipresent. The section follows the textbook in its
regional organization and aims at comparing the historical development of four major African regions. Why did the slave trade affect
West Africa much more than Southern Africa? Why did the Horn of Africa retain its independence until the end of the 19 th century
and beyond? Why is South Africa the only African country with a substantial population of European descent? These are some of the
questions which we will seek an answer in this section.
Part IV: Ethiopia from the late Middle Ages to the dawn of European Colonialism. In this last section we will look at a
specific case study to understand how the general dynamics discussed in the previous sections impacted a specific African polity.
Ethiopia is a great test-case as it is located at a crossroad and has seen its history defined by Christianity, Islam, Portuguese
exploration, slave trade and other key factors we will be familiar with by the end of the semester.
Required Readings (available in the bookstore and on the major online booksellers)
-
Gilbert, E., J. T. Reynolds, Africa in World History. Pearson, 2007 (first or second edition: the first edition is very
inexpensive!)
Keim, Curtis, Mistaking Africa, Westview, 1999.
Additional material will be provided in paper or via Blackboard and email. Students are responsible for checking their Rowan
accounts (email and Blackboard) regularly.
Assignments and Grading:
Reaction Paper 10%
Quiz (Part I)
15%
Test (Part II)
20%
Test (Part III) 20%
Test (Part IV) 15%
Participation and attendance 20%
Participation and class policy: Students are encouraged to contribute to class discussions and to raise questions. About half of the
course will be dedicated to discussion. Students are also expected to attend every class. After the first 2 weeks students will be
allowed no more than 3 unexcused absences, after which 5% will be deducted from the total grade for each additional absence.
Excused absences will be only granted on the basis of an official note from a physician or a Rowan’s official such as a coach, a
professor, a counselor etc.
********** IMPORTANT INFORMATION **********
Disability Disclosure: Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have an impact upon your
work in this class, please contact me. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order
to receive official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached at 856-256-4234. The
Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer questions regarding accommodations or assist you in
your pursuit of accommodations.
Academic Advising: Academic Advising is available at the Career and Academic Planning Center, located on the second floor of
Savitz Hall. You can schedule an appointment calling (856) 256-4456, emailing advise@rowan.edu or simply visit the office.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words, another
person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses -- papers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, oral
presentations -- is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance must be reported to the
instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources -- journals, books, or other media -- these resources must be cited in a
manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Failure to cite
borrowed material constitutes plagiarism. Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism. For a more
exhaustive explanation see the Department’s website at the following address:
http://www.rowan.edu/history/plagiarism.html
A plagiarized paper will automatically receive an F even when the plagiarism interests only a fraction of the paper. A student
caught plagiarizing will automatically be considered only for a final grade equal or lower than a C- and his/her conduct
reported to the Department.
Academic freedom: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The freedom to learn
depends upon appropriate opportunities and conditions in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community. The University
and the faculty have a responsibility to provide students with opportunities and protections that promote the learning process in all its
aspects. Students similarly should exercise their freedom with responsibility.
Writing assistance: Good writing skills are essential to your success in this class. Writing assistance is available at two different
centers:
- Writing Center: sponsored by the Writing Arts Department, it offers help at two locations: the Writing Lab in Bozorth Hall 26 and at
the Writing Lab Outpost 1 in the Campbell Library Resource Room. Assistance is available on a drop-in basis.
- Academic Success Center in Savitz Hall (3rd floor): the Center offers help with writing as well as other types of tutoring. You may
drop in or contact the coordinator explaining your needs by phone 856-256-4462 or email wilsonbo@rowan.edu.
CLASS CHEDULE
Week 1: Introduction to the Course
o Tuesday, September 02, Directions / Q&A
o Thursday, September 04,What’s “Africa”? Keim Chapter 1 and 2
-
Part I: Understanding and misunderstanding Africa
o Week 2 Dark Africa?
 Tuesday, September 09, Keim Ch 3
 Thursday, September 11, Keim Ch 4
Film Screening: images from “Dark Africa”
o
-
-
-
Week 3 Selling Africa.
 Tuesday, September 16, Keim Ch 5 and 6
Assignment: find news/videoclip/picture conveying a stereotyped image of Africa. Write up a 3 page
reaction paper
Thursday, September 18, Test on part I
Part II: Pre-modern and early-modern African societies
o Week 4 Overview of social and economic institutions:.
 Tuesday, September 23, Blackboard: Falola, Ch 9 and 11 (Agriculture, Trade, Industries; Politics and
Governments)
 Thursday, September 25, Blackboard: Khapoya, 27-51 Kinship
o
Week 5 Religion in premodern Africa: indigenous religions, Islam and Christianity
 Tuesday, September 30, Gilbert Ch 5 and 6
 Thursday, October 02, Blackboard: Tishken on indigenous religions
Blackboard: Leo Africanus’s description of Timbuktu
o
Week 6 Islam and the Swahili Coast
 Tuesday, October 07, Gilbert Ch 7
 Thursday, October 09, Blackboard: Duarte Barbosa (Primary Source:)
o
Week 7 Africa’s Discovery of Europe
 Tuesday, October 14, Blackboard: chapter from Northrup’s Africa’s Discovery of Europe
 Thursday, October 16, Blackboard: Ethiopian letters to Portugal and the Papacy (Primary Source)
o
Week 8 Kingdoms of the Forest: societies in the Congo basin
 Tuesday, October 21, Blackboard: Excerpts by Jan Vansina
 Thursday, October 23, Test on Part II
Part III : Modern Africa before colonialism
o
Week 9 The Slave Trade
 Tuesday, October 28, Gilbert 8
 Thursday, October 30, Blackboard: Equiano (Primary Source)
o
Week 10 Modern West Africa and the Slave Trade
 Tuesday, November 04, Election Day!
 Thursday, November 06, Gilbert 9
o
Week 11 East Africa and the Portuguese
 Tuesday, November 11,Gilbert 11
 Thursday, November 13, Blackboard: “Our Kingdom is Being Lost” (Primary Source)
Blackboard: The Portuguese in Ethiopi (Primary Source)
o
Week 12 Southern Africa: from early European migration to the Mfecane
 Tuesday, November 18, Gilbert 12
 Thursday, November 20, Blackboard (Primary Source)
o
Week 13
 Tuesday, November 25. Test Part III
 Thursday, November 27, Happy Thanksgiving!
Part IV Ethiopia from the late Middle Ages to the dawn of European Colonialism
o Week 14 Case Study: Ethiopia from the early modern period to the dawn of colonialism
 Tuesday, December 02, Blackboard: excerpts from Tamrat’s Church and State in Ethiopian History
 Thursday, December 04 Blackboard: excerpts from Marcus’ A History of Ethiopia
o
Week 14 Presentations
 Tuesday, December 09, Blackboard: excerpts from Bahru’s A History of Modern Ethiopia
 Thursday, December 11, Test Part IV