HIS 367 The Black Atlantic

Students will examine the social, economic, political, and cultural impact of African migration on the commercial development of New World societies and key port cities across the Atlantic Ocean from diverse points of view. Students will explore the relationship between slavery and the rise of capitalism, the persistence and transformation of African culture, and the impact of plantation production on gender, sexuality, and reproduction. Students will critically analyze and synthesize primary sources and scholarly publications that chart the evolution of black political culture which emerged from traditional African cosmology and eventually appropriated the discourse of natural rights and Christian theology to challenge racial hierarchies in the modern world. Fulfills African or U.S. geographic requirement, and, for non-majors, it fulfills L13 (Further Disciplinary Study). Fulfills writing-intensive and diversity requirement. Prerequisite: HIS 224, 226, 260, 261, 267, or 268.