Part I: Foundations

Week 1
April 2: Situating “Africa” in Time, Space, and Western Imaginations
In Class: McEvedy, maps 1-3
Read: the syllabus

April 4: Human Origins, Human Societies
Read: McEvedy,  maps through 500 B.C.E.
Lane, “Breaking the Mould”

Week 2
April 9: Human Migrations | Historical Methods
Read: Klieman, Chapter 1
McEvedy, maps through AD 750
Due: Map Assignment 1

April 11: Foragers + Planters
Read: Klieman, Chapter 3
Salopek, “Who Rules the Forest?” | optional: interview with Salpoek

Week 3
April 16:  Group workshop

Part II: Larger-scale social, political, and economic organization

April 18: First States
Read: McIntosh + McIntosh, “Finding Jenne-Jeno” | background
Lange, “Eternal Djenne” | web version
McEvedy, maps through 1350
Due: Map Assignment 2

Week 4
Week 23: Connections
Read: Austen, 1-48
Due: Map Assignment 3

April 25: Saharan History
Read: Austen, 49-77
Begin Sundiata

Week 5
April 30: Heroes + Foundational Stories
Read: Finish Sundiata

May 2: Islam + Transformations
Read: Austen, 78-117
Ibn Battuta, excerpts
McEvedy, map of travels of Ibn Battuta
Due: week 5 writing assignment (in eee drop box)

Week 6
May 7: Midterm | sample mid-term responses

Part III: Changing the terms of encounter

May 9: Howard French visit
Read: Begin Thornton
McEvedy, maps through 1540
TBA

Week 7
May 14: Littoral Encounters
Read: Broadhead, “Slave Wives”
McEvedy, maps through 1600

May 16: Group workshop
Read: Continue Thornton

Week 8
May 21: Group Presentation: “The French Question”
Slavery + Gender
Read: Finish Thornton
McEvedy, maps through 1700

May 23: Belief + Conversion
Continue discussion of Thornton

Part IV: Colonial Encounters

Week 9
May 28: Servants + Masters
Read: Thom, Van Riebeeck’ Journal, excerpts
Wells, “Eva’s Men”

[sidelined: Societies without States in Southern Africa
Read: Kolb, Sparrman, + Thunberg: excerpts]

May 30: Slave Rebellion
Houd den Bek study guide
Read: Historiography assignment: Rayner, Ross, van der Spuy, Watson
McEvedy, maps through 1800

Week 10
June 4: Testimonies of Bondage
Read: Transcripts of Galant’s Trial

June 6: Study day

Monday, June 10: week 10 writing assignment (in eee drop box)

Wednesday, June 12: FINAL: Houd den Bek writing assignment due to eee drop box by 12 noon.