HIST5133

This course introduces students to the relationship between Western countries and sub-Saharan Africa over the last five centuries. Particular attention is paid to the political, economic, and cultural links established between Europe and Africa, including the imperialist occupation and exploitation of Africa by Europeans. Historical topics covered include the slave trade, European exploration of Africa, the diaspora of Africans in the West and of Europeans in Africa, racial attitudes, patterns of economic development and impoverishment, and the political evolution of European colonial regimes in Africa. It also includes the process of decolonization and its political, economic, and social consequences. Contemporary topics covered include political instability and poverty in Africa, the AIDS crisis, the legacy of colonialism and white settlement, the democratization of African political systems, and competing approaches to African development.