HIS 363 State & Slavery in West Africa

Some of the major debates in the historiography of West Africa have centered on issues involving state formation, the nature of the pre-colonial state, modes of production, and systems of slavery. This course examines the different methods, questions, and theoretical frameworks which at least two generations of historians have brought to the table as they grappled with the complex issues of state and slavery in West Africa. The case study approach first situates pre-colonial West African state and systems of African slavery in the context of the modern world system. It then grapples with definitions and meanings as it explores the language of slavery and 'unfreeness.' Finally, it explores slave systems in three states - Asante, Dahomey and the Sokoto Caliphate - to probe the impact of colonialism and the abolition of slavery in these specific areas. HIS 363L Advanced Research Lab required if course is offered as 3-credit plus lab. Fulfills writing-intensive requirement. Prerequisite: HIS 260 or HIS 266.