Modern African History

Modern African History

Jeremy Antley
antley@ku.edu
2015 Wescoe
Office Hours: Tu 2:00-3:00 & Wed 10:00-11:00
Tel. 864-0001

Introduction to Course

Welcome to Modern African History! This course will cover the

vast continent using both a thematic and chronological focus.
We will discuss the colonial legacy of European rule, African
resistance, the independence movement and early aftermath, as well as present day challenges and
expectations. In conjunction with the historical knowledge base, this course will deal with the western
media perception of Africa, discussing its impact in both the past and present. Writing and group work
assignments will emphasize developing skills used by Historians in their daily work while providing
opportunity for more in-depth analysis. By analyzing a variety of sources and viewpoints, Western as
well as African, this course will highlight the diverse nature of Africa and its citizens.

Assigned Texts

Adu A. Boahen- African Perspectives on Colonialism

Colin Legum- Africa Since Independence

I suggest buying these texts as soon as you can, as the bookstore will sell back unused copies back to the
publisher by mid-semester. I will put both texts on reserve, available for two hour checkout, yet I
caution any student who waits too long to complete the
reading assignment. While I have tried to keep each day’s
reading assignment under 30 pages, putting off the
reading can quickly escalate into an daunting mountain of
words.

We will also be reading a selection of academic journal

articles throughout the semester. These readings are
located on blackboard, under the “Assignments” folder.
Check the readings list for articles name and author,
located at the end of this syllabus. Reading is the
lifeblood of this class- it feeds not only class discussion
but also your own critical thinking skills. While some
components of this course require direct lecture, this class
is student centered and requires your input in order to be
successful. In order to accomplish this, please stay on top

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of your readings and bring a copy of any text assigned to class. Failure to do so will negatively impact
your participation grade.

Graded Components for this Course

Reaction Papers (3 total) 10%

Media Blog 10%
Group Project 20%
In-class Midterm 25%
Take Home Final 25%
Attendance/Participation 10%

Three times throughout the semester, you will write reaction papers on questions assigned. These
papers will ask you to review a historical work, analyzing the argument and evidence provided, as well as
survey the academic journals relevant to African history, selecting articles that focus on one specific
African nation. The papers should be no longer than five pages, and are due, generally, two weeks
before the end of a unit. Check the ‘Daily Schedule’ section of this syllabus for exact dates. The goal
for this work is to learn and practice analytical thinking and writing skills used in the historical context.
What makes a good historical work? How are historical works produced? What is the bias of the
author or the evidence presented? Lectures in the beginning of the semester , along with a special trip
planned for the library, will provide the explanation and background necessary to successfully
accomplish these tasks.

One of the main themes we will focus on in this course is the way the western media portrays Africa.
Throughout the semester, students will be asked to create a Media Blog (using Blogger or any other
similar service the student finds comfortable), composed of articles and photographs from western
media sources. Creation of a blogging account, as well as further explination of the Media Blog
assignment, will be covered on the day we take our trip to the Library. Each entry needs to have a link
to the story or picture discussed, as well as a written reaction by the student. At the end of the semester
we will discuss your observations.

Group projects mark the end of each unit. Students will be assigned (random selection) into groups of
four or five and asked to produce a 30 minute presentation over an assigned topic. Each group will only
present once. These projects are centered around the theme of each unit, providing a capstone of
issues and events covered. Presentations should include a powerpoint presentation, incorporation of
multimedia sources, and contributions from each member of the group. A paper summary of the group
project, (no more than eight pages) should also accompany the presentation. Group Projects will be
evaluated in a three-tiered manner, incorporating input from the instructor, group peers, and students
in the class. More information will be provided on separate handouts.

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The midterm will be given in class, right before Fall Break. It will contain some short identification
questions, as well as essay topics that encompass the themes studied in the first half of the semester.
More information will be provided on a handout as we approach the test date.

Your final will be take-home, with a design similar to the midterm. The essay portion will cover themes
developed over the second half of the semester and the entire course. You will be able to choose from
among several questions presented and asked to write on two of them. Essays should be no more than
five pages in length, with a total for both not to exceed ten pages. As with the midterm, more
information will follow as we approach the final weeks of class.

Attendance will be taken at random intervals throughout the semester. An absence, without a formal
note, counts as unexcused. If a student knows they will be absent, they should discuss with me the
event and we can work something out. Do not skip class! Since we meet only twice a week, missing
one class will have a detrimental effect on your grade and your understanding of the material. If you
have any questions or concerns about absences, please contact or meet with me and we can settle any
issues you might have.

Along with an attendance grade, students will be marked for their participation in class discussions.
Bringing the assigned reading to class counts as participation! At the end of every week, you will be
required to post on the discussion board (located on Blackboard) one question or interesting fact you
uncovered in the reading. We will discuss these observations at the beginning of every week, therefore
all entries to the blackboard need to be posted by 8 pm on Sunday.

Daily Schedule & Assigned Readings

Section One: The Colonial Legacy

August 21st: Introductions- expectations of class, reading of syllabus, discussion of

African perception in West. In class reading: essay on granta.com “How to Write
About Africa.” Read Boahen 1-26.

August 26th: Colonialism- what were the reasons and goals European nations desired
for the African Continent? How did the various state systems differ? Discussion over
what makes History and how historians construct their work. Read Boahen 27-57.

August 28th: Read Boahen 58-93.

September 2nd: Go over library visit for next class. Discuss beginning of Media Blog
assignment.

September 4th: Library Day- meet at Watson for tour of on-line and print resources.
Read Boahen 94-112.

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September 9th: Discuss Boahen’s work- what is his argument, evidence, bias? FIRST
REACTION PAPER DUE.

September 11th: END OF SECTION ONE. GROUP ONE PRESENTATION.

Breakdown of Media Blog entries accumulated.

! Section Two: Struggle & Beginning of Independence

September 16th: A discussion over the resistance techniques used by the African
population. Read Marina Santoru “Colonial Idea of Women and Direct Intervention:
The Mau Mau Case.”

September 18th: Discussion on the break down of British Colonial Rule. What
pressures influenced the decision for granting independence? What challenges lie in
store for the new nations?

September 23rd: Discussion on the break down of French Colonial Rule. How did the
French cases differ or compare to those experienced by the British? Read M. Anne
Pitcher “From Coercion to Incentives.”

September 25th: Discussion on the break down of Belgian rule in the Congo.

September 30th: Breakdown of Portuguese and German rule. Discuss the impact of
both World Wars on the colonial system in Africa.

October 2nd: SECOND REACTION PAPER DUE. Read Francis B. Nyamnjoh & Jude
Fokwang “Entertaining Repression: Music and Politics in Postcolonial Cameroon.”

October 7th: Beginning of a new era. Discussion on how??????

October 9th: END SECTION TWO. GROUP TWO PRESENTATION. Review for
Midterm.

October 14th: IN-CLASS MIDTERM Read Legum 1-29.

!
! Section Three: Early Years of Independence

October 21st: New Regimes, New Abuses.

October 23rd: South Africa and the development of Apartheid. Read Crawford
Young “Zaire: The Anatomy of a Failed State.”

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October 28th: Congo- Defining the word ‘kleptocrat’. How did Mubutu secure power
and maintain it for so long? What were the ultimate consequences of his rule? Read
Legum 30-49.

October 30th: Watch ‘Darwin’s Nightmare’. Read Edward Kissi “Beneath

International Famine Relief in Ethiopia: The United States, Ethiopia, and the Debate
over Relief Aid, Development Assistance, and Human Rights.”

November 4th: Vestiges of old: the development of Neo-Colonialism. Read Vladimir

Shubin “The Soviet Union/Russian Federation's Relations with South Africa.”

November 6th: THIRD REACTION PAPER DUE. Impacts of the Cold War- How did the
United States and the Soviet Union view Africa? How did African rulers respond to
offers of aid from one side or both? The arms legacy in Africa. Read Legum 50-70.

November 11th: Review over Media Blog entries. Read Legum 71-98.

November 13th: END SECTION THREE. GROUP THREE PRESENTATION. Review

Legum’s book- what is his argument, evidence, bias? Read Liz Gunner “Wrestling with
the Present, Beckoning to the Past: Contemporary Zulu Radio Drama.”

" Section Four: Africa in the 90’s and Today

November 18th: End of the Cold War- New challenges for African nations. Read
Elizabeth MacGonagle “Ghanian Slave Forts”

November 20th: Creating new identities.

November 25th: Watch PBS Frontline special on Rwanda. Read Alex de Waal “Who
are the Darfurians? Arab and African Identities, Violence and External Engagement.”

December 2nd: Discussion and breakdown of the conflict in Rwanda and Darfur.
Read Deborah Brautigam “Close Encounters: Chinese Business Networks as Industrial
Catalysts in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

December 4th: New interest in Africa? Celebrity endorsements and international

recognition- what does the future promise for the nations of Africa?

December 9th: Review day for Course. Final breakdown of Media Blog assignment.

December 11th: END SECTION FOUR. GROUP FOUR PRESENTATION. Give out
take home final.

December 18th: TAKE HOME FINAL DUE IN BOTH DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL
FORMAT BY 5:00 PM.

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