Robert Colliins, ed., Historical Problems of Imperial Africa. In History 2316 we shall be using only Problems I and II (pp. 1-100). However, we shall do others in History 2317.

History 2316 Course Pack

Course Description

This half-course on the history of Africa in the 19th century will deal with two major topic areas:

Modern European involvement in Africa began in the late 15th C with Portuguese voyages south along the coast of West Africa and eventually rounding the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean. However, because of disease and other barriers, European contacts were, with some exceptions (notably in South Africa), restricted to the coastal areas. As a result, conquest in most parts of Africa took place only after 1875, more recently than many people imagine.

In section I, we shall be examining the nature and variety of pre-colonial African societies before there was European intrusion, disruption and conquest. In section II, we shall be examining not only what happened and how partition and conquest took place, but also why it happened when it did.

Course Organization

The course has been organized into 13 weekly modules. Each module has one or two lectures and in some cases some readings assigned. Each module has a discussion topic and question. Also, deadlines and due dates that come in the week are listed as reminders. There is a total of 20 lectures. The modules and the lectures are listed under Course Content on the home page.

Assignments and Grading

1. Discussions—participation each week	25%
2. Mid-term examination (3 hours)	20%
3. Essay assignment(s)	30%
4. Final Examination (3 hours)	25%
Total	100%

Discussions

The discussions are a crucial part of the course (as indicated by the proportion of the final grade--25%); they take the place of classroom interactions. Except for weeks with examinations, you will be expected to contribute at least one post to the discussion board each week. Each weekly unit will have a discussion topic and question. You may address that topic or anything else that arises in the lecture notes or readings for that weekly module. Your post should be substantive (at least 200 words), well thought out and well argued. It should be written in correct English; that is, it should be correct in grammar, in spelling and in punctuation. It should present an argument buttressed by supporting evidence and authorities, not just your unsupported opinions.

Most weeks, the class will be divided into two groups. One week, members of group A will do the initial posts as outlined above by a deadline to be set. Later in the week by a second deadline, members of group B will respond to one of the initial posts. The next week, the order will be reversed with group B doing the initial posts and so alternating each week.

In this response, you may agree, disagree or pursue further elaboration. The response should follow the same rules as above. It should address the arguments and/or evidence presented in the initial post. Also, the tone must always be one of politeness and respect. There are a couple of objectives:

• to learn by sharing knowledge and insights; thus, it is a collaboration;
  
• to hone our skills in scholarly discussion and debate. Thus, we want to engage in reasoned and reasonable discourse. This is the way we evaluate ideas; we see if they can stand up to debate and critical examination.
  

There is one mid-term exam and one final exam. Both exams are written on campus. Students living within 1 hour driving distance to the university are required to write the exam on campus. If you live outside this distance, you may write at another site by arranging for a proctor and complete the proctor forms. To request proctor forms, you may contact the coursemaster. . I shall attach forms in WebCT as well.

The mid-term and final examinations will have the same format and each will have three sections: