Module HIST1301: SLAVERY IN AFRICA: FROM THE SLAVE TRADE TO COLONIAL RULE

Department: HISTORY

HIST1301: SLAVERY IN AFRICA: FROM THE SLAVE TRADE TO COLONIAL RULE

Prerequisites

• An A or B grade in A-Level History, or an acceptable equivalent (e.g. in terms of Scottish Highers or IB)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to the history of Africa since 1500, using slavery as a theme.
• to introduce students to debates over the nature of slavery in different societies, and its transformation under different economic systems.
• to encourage and develop a critical approach to the historiography.
• to fulfil the generic aims of a level-1 module in History.

Content

• What is a slave? And what is freedom? While popular modern images of slavery have been formed by the appalling story of the Atlantic slave trade, there is within Africa itself a longer, complex history of servitude.
• The spreading violence and depopulation caused by the international slave trade from Africa form only a part of this history, which has seen fundamental changes in the form and nature of servitude.
• Taking as its starting point the beginning of slave exports from West Africa, this module explores these changes up to the twentieth century, and offers both a history of slavery in Africa and an introductory outline to the history of the continent during this period.
• The module will examine the debate over the nature of slavery within African societies.
• the impact of the international slave trade.
• the strategies used by slaves and others to improve their status.
• and the effects on Africa of attempts to abolish first the slave trade and then slavery itself, which were associated with a new kind of incorporation into an expanding global economy.

Learning Outcomes

• A broad understanding of the patterns of political, social and economic change in Africa since 1500, derived from specific regional case studies.
• An understanding of the debate over slavery, and transformations in the nature of slavery.

• Subject specific skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/;
• In addition students will acquire an ability to critically evaluate the literature on slavery, and to draw on an understanding of Africa in this period to develop and substantiate such criticism.

• Key skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The basis of this course will be 19 lectures, which will encourage students to think about the nature of slavery.
• introduce students to the broad history of slavery in Africa over this period, drawing attention to the diversity of experience in different regions of the continent.
• and supplement this broad account with more detailed discussion of specific societies.
• The seminars will direct students' concerns to four major themes - the nature of slavery.
• the impact of the external slave trade.
• resistance and marronage.
• and 'abolition' and transformations in slavery.
• Through the seminars, each student will have the opportunity to give one oral and one written presentation, which will involve both the study of chosen historical text and a summary and assessment of secondary material on a subject related to the text.
• The written presentation will be given formative written feedback.
• Two summative essays, each contributing 15% of the final mark, will also be given formative feedback.
• The essays will encourage students to develop knowledge on a particular area, and will develop their critical abilities.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One or more short assignments submitted in writing or delivered orally and discussed either 1:1 or in a group context.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University