AAS 337/HIS 337 AFRICA SINCE 1800
Revised March 18, 2020
Kenneth J. Orosz Office Hours: T 3:00-4:00
Spring 2020 W 10:00-12:00
Class Meetings: Classroom Bldg B209 Office: Classroom Bldg C213
TR 9:25-10:40 Telephone: 878-3203
E-mail: oroszkj@buffalostate.edu
Transition to Online Teaching
As you all know, we are moving into uncharted waters with social distancing and the mandated switch to online teaching. Regarding our class, some things will change but much of the course architecture will remain the same. Please contact me via email as soon as possible if you have any questions, concerns, or experience problems accessing materials in Blackboard.
Lectures: I will be teaching the class in an asynchronous fashion by posting Powerpoints with embedded audio to the Content section of Blackboard. What that means to you, is that you can log in, download and watch the Powerpoints at any time rather than structuring your day around what was our scheduled class time.
Wherever possible, I will break lectures down into smaller, more manageable chunks so that you are not trapped in front of a monitor for 75 minutes at a time. This means that you will probably see more topics per week than originally listed on the syllabus. Please watch them in order and stay on schedule as much as possible; there will be far too much to cover if you try to catch up at the last minute.
Given that nearly every university and school has shifted over to online teaching, I suspect that the internet will slow to a crawl during peak times. Embedding audio means that the Powerpoint files will be quite large and will slow things down further and will quickly exhaust your data plans. I strongly recommend that you use Wifi only and that you download batches of files during off peak hours to watch later.
The lecture Powerpoints are set up to mimic the experience you would have had in class minus the ability to ask questions. When you open the Powerpoint click on the “Slide Show” tab at the top of the screen; then click on the “From the beginning” button in the upper left of your screen. The Powerpoint will then play like a video from start to finish. If you need to pause the lecture, right click on the slide and select pause from the menu. To resume, either right click or hit the Escape button on your keyboard.
If you want to slow things down further or re-watch pieces of the lecture, once you open the Powerpoint and place your cursor on top of the desired slide. Left click once to highlight the slide and then click on the “From Current Slide” button at the top of the screen to play the slide show from that point. You can also watch slides on an individual basis. To do that, double click on the desired slide to open a larger version and then click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the slide to start the audio.
Readings: Since we will be playing catch up for a week or two in terms of topics covered, you will need to look at the original syllabus (posted below) to match reading assignments to topics. Eventually, however, we will get back on track and readings should be done by the date listed on the original syllabus.
Assignments: The remaining written assignments (research paper proposal, second book analysis, and research paper) will continue with only a few modifications. The biggest change is that all assignments must now be submitted electronically as Word documents so that I can use Comments bubbles while grading. Please note that all other instructions - including the need to adhere to the History Style Sheet - remain in effect. Assignments are due no later than 10:00 AM on the originally assigned due date (April 23 for the second book analysis; May 7 for the final research paper). Please send your papers as e-mail attachments to oroszkj@buffalostate.edu. It is your responsibility to ensure that they are sent/received on time. I highly recommend that you add yourself as a recipient of that message and keep a copy once it arrives as proof that it was sent on time.
Paper Proposals: As you know, this is the one assignment on which there is a flexible due date. Per the original syllabus/paper instructions, if I do not have a passing proposal on file by the time you submit your research paper on May 7 than I will not read your paper and you will receive an F for the assignment. Proposals should consist of a sentence or two outlining your topic followed by a preliminary bibliography of 8-10 scholarly sources. Normally I would direct you to books, but the likely closure of libraries means that you will probably have to rely heavily on journal articles instead. You can find those by using the library’s JSTOR and Project Muse databases; both databases can be accessed from anywhere by logging in through the library portal and contain PDF versions of articles that you can download or read on the screen.
Final Exam: The final exam will be conducted online via Blackboard and will have a different format from the midterm. Rather than write one essay and 10 identification terms, you will write two essays from a choice of three questions. The exam will become available under the Content tab in Blackboard at our scheduled time of 7:40 AM on Tuesday May 12. You may take the exam at any time on the 12th, but all answers must be submitted by 11:59 PM. The exam has been designed to be completed in a regular 2 hour block, but I have built in an additional 2 hours of flex time if needed to accommodate unexpected interruptions and/or problems with internet access. Exceptions for additional time have already been entered for those students who qualify for learning accommodations. While you can manually save and submit your answers as soon as you are finished with the exam, once time ends your exam will be automatically submitted. Please note that answers must be typed into the box on Blackboard; cutting and pasting material has been disabled. Since I have to assume that you will be using your notes when writing those essays, I will be expecting more complete and more detailed answers. If you encounter any problems let me know as soon as possible so that we can work out a solution.
Grades: I have reactivated the My Grades function in Blackboard (left side of the screen) and will be using that as the primary means of communicating assignment grades to you. Please note that it is not set up to calculate final grades. I will also scan those exams and papers which were not collected before campus closed and will email those back to you so that you can see my comments. All future assignments will be submitted electronically and will be emailed back with grades and comments added.
Office Hours: While you are always free to email your questions/concerns, I will also be holding virtual office hours at the usual times (Tuesdays 3:00-4:00 and Wednesdays 10:00-12:00). During virtual office hours I will regularly check e-mail and will set up video chat or telephone consultations on request.
Original Syllabus
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course surveys the sweep of African history form the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the end of the 20th century. Topics will include the Mfecane, the 19th century Fulani jihads, European exploration, the partition of Africa, changes wrought by the European colonial presence, African reactions to these changes, the rise of nationalism, decolonization, and the problems facing newly independent Africa. While we will of necessity be focusing the bulk of our attention on political phenomena, social and cultural events will also receive attention.
REQUIREMENTS:
Academic misconduct (including cheating and plagiarism) will not be tolerated. Buffalo State College policies on academic misconduct, including the possible use of textual similarity detection software, are outlined on page 48 of the college catalog. Please note that the minimum penalty for cases of academic misconduct will be an F on the assignment.
Reading assignments are to be completed by the dates given. There will a midterm and a final examination. Students are required to provide their own blank examination booklets (available in the bookstore) for each exam. Please note that in order to earn more than a B on the essay portion of the exams you must make use of the relevant assigned readings and historical documents. In addition students will write two 5 page analysis papers on assigned texts (Conde and Beti novels) and a 10-12 page paper on a topic of their choice. All topics for the research papers must be authorized by me and must conform to the geographic and temporal confines of this course. As part of this process students are required to submit their paper topics in the form of written proposals no later than March 3. Failure to submit a passing proposal means that your paper will not be accepted and you will earn an E for that portion of the course. All papers and reviews must conform to the History Style Sheet. Detailed instructions on the writing assignments, including the style sheet, can be found in Blackboard or by clicking the syllabi and course materials links at http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/oroszkj. For Blackboard help go to https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Student.
Please note that in order to pass this course you must make a good faith attempt to complete all components and requirements. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PRIOR ARRANGEMENT. Incompletes will be granted at the sole discretion of the instructor and require a written application outlining the rationale behind granting the incomplete, a list of outstanding assignments and a timetable for their completion. This application must be signed and, if granted, will constitute a formal contract for the completion of the course.
Grades will be computed as follows:
Midterm 25% Final 25%
Conde analysis 15% Research Paper 20%
Beti analysis 15%
BOOKS: The following books are required reading and are available in the bookstore:
David Birmingham, The Decolonization of Africa 978-0-121-41153-7
A. Adu Boahen, African Perspectives on Colonialism, rev. ed. 978-0-966-02014-4
Collins & Burns, Historical Problems of Imperial Africa; 3rd ed 978-1-558-76584-9
Frederick Cooper, Africa Since 1940, 2nd ed 978-0-521-77600-4
Robert July, A History of the African Peoples, 5th ed. 978-0-881-33980-2
Maryse Conde, Segu 978-0-140-25949-0
Mongo Beti, The Poor Christ of Bomba 978-1-577-66418-5
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS:
Supplemental readings (indicated in italics on the syllabus) can be accessed in one of 3 ways: 1) if it is a website, there will be a link to it from the electronic version of the syllabus available in Blackboard or on my web page at http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/oroszkj Please note that the “Broadcast” links are versions of a radio program, hence there is no video to watch. When the page opens make sure you click the “Listen now” icon on the left side of the screen. 2) Journal articles listed below can be accessed via the library’s Academic Search Premier or JSTOR databases; 3) highlighted readings are available in Blackboard under the Content tab.
A. E. Afigbo, “Revolutions and Wars,” in The Nineteenth Century, vol 1 of The Making of Modern Africa (London: Longman, 1986), 80-114.
Ngwabi Bhebe, “Mzilikazi c. 1795-1968,” in Black Leaders in Southern African History, ed. Christopher Saunders, (London: Heinemann, 1979), 31-44
John Hargreaves, “British and French Imperialism in West Africa” in France and Britain in Africa, ed. Prosser Gifford and Wm. Roger Louis, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971), 261-284.
Djibril Tamsir Niane, “Africa’s Understanding of the Slave Trade” Diogenes vol. 45 no. 3 (Autumn 1997) : 75-90.
Tony Thomas, “Sub-Saharan Africa: So Little Done, So Much to Do” in Annual Editions World History vol. 2, 5th ed. (New York: McGraw Hill, 1998), 166-180.
Rudolf von Albertini, “French West and Equatorial Africa,” in European Colonial Rule, 1880-1940, ed. Rudolf von Albertini, (London: Greenwood Press, 1982), 343-373.
Rudolf von Albertini, “The Belgian Congo,” in European Colonial Rule, 1880-1940, ed. Rudolf von Albertini, (London: Greenwood Press, 1982), 374-387.
John Williams, From the South African Past (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997)
Albert Wirz, “The German Colonies in Africa,” in European Colonial Rule, 1880-1940, ed. Rudolf von Albertini, (London: Greenwood Press, 1982), 388-417.
CLASS SCHEDULE
January 28 Introduction and Pre-colonial Political Systems
Read: Boahen Ch 1; Africa on Eve of Colonialism Broadcast
January 30 The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Read: July Ch 7; Niane, “Africa’s Understanding of the Slave Trade”
February 4 Abolition of the Slave Trade
Read: Slavery to Abolition Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4;
February 6 The Fulani Jihads
Read: July Ch 9; Afigbo, “Revolutions and Wars;”
February 11 The Era of “Legitimate” Trade
Read: Black Explorers; White Explorers
February 13 The Era of “Legitimate” Trade
Read: Conde novel
February 18 The Mfecane
Read July Ch 12-13; Mfecane Broadcast
February 20 The Difiqane
Read Bhebe, “Mizilikazi”
February 25 Settlers in South Africa
Read: July Ch 11; Williams pp. 69-78, 82-86, 121-129
February 27 North Africa: Napoleon to Suez Canal
Read: July Ch 8
Conde analysis due
March 3 The New Imperialism
Read: July Ch 14; Collins & Burns Ch 1; White Man’s Burden
Paper proposals due
March 5 The Scramble for Territory
Read: July Ch 10 and 15;
March 10 Midterm
March 12 The Expansion of British Africa
Read: July Ch 16; Establishment Basutoland; Death of Gordon; British Egypt
March 17 March 12 British Africa
Read: July Ch 17; Hargreaves, “British and French Imperialism”
March 19 The Creation of French Africa
Read: July Ch 19; Ferry on French Expansion;
von Albertini, “French West and Equatorial Africa,”
March 24 No Class
March 26 No Class
March 31 The German, Belgian and Italian Empires in Africa
Read: Wirz, “The German Colonies in Africa;” Black Man’s Burden
von Albertini, “The Belgian Congo;”
April 2 Colonial Systems in Operation
Read: Collins & Burns Ch 2, 6; Tax and Trade; Railways
April 7 Colonial Culture and Society
Read: Boahen Ch 2-3; Collins & Burns Ch 4
April 9 African Society and Culture under Siege
Read: Beti novel; Life under Colonialism Broadcast; Newspapers;
April 14 African Resistance, Complicity and Collaboration
Read: Collins & Burns Ch 3; Religion and Resistance; Political Resistance
April 16 World War I in Africa
Read: Recruitment; Aftermath; Radio; Air and Road; Resistance & Rebellion
July Ch 18
April 21 The Rise of Colonial Nationalism
Read: Cooper Ch 1; Collins & Burns Ch 5; Early Nationalism;
April 23 World War II and Decolonization
Read: July Ch 21; Cooper Ch 2-4; Africa in WW II; African Soldiers in Burma
Towards Independence; Guinea and Algeria; Nkrumah Speech
Beti analysis due
April 28 Decolonization: Settlement Colonies
Read: July Ch 22-23; Birmingham Ch 1-conclusion; Kenya and Congo;
April 30 Africa Since Independence
Read July Ch 24-25; Cooper Ch 5-7; Cold War;
May 5 South Africa and the end of Apartheid
Read: Boahen Ch 4; July Ch 20; Apartheid; South African Aggression;
Colour Policy; Case for Apartheid
May 7 Conflict and Genocide at Century’s End
Read: Cooper Ch 8; Thomas, “Sub-Saharan Africa;”
Genocide and Regional War; AIDS in Kenya
Final papers due
May 12 Final Exam 7:40-9:30
Guidelines for Writing Assignments
While your papers will be graded primarily on content, grammatical accuracy, style, presentation and organization will also be taken into account. All papers are required to adhere to the History Style Sheet which is available in Blackboard and on my web site. Failure to follow the style sheet will result in significant penalties; these consist of at least the loss of a full letter grade for each category of violation (i.e. use of contractions will cost you a letter grade, reducing an A paper to a B). This includes paper length, non-standard fonts, margins and line spacing. Please note that a short paper is not necessarily a bad paper; I am primarily interested in what you have to say, how well you say it and if you have developed your thesis and argument sufficiently.
As you write your papers feel free to paraphrase or quote suitable passages that illustrate your points. However, if you quote or paraphrase, you must cite the relevant passage. You must also cite detailed information (i.e. statistics or items that are not common knowledge). Proper citation formats can be found in the History Style Sheet. Please note that in addition to enforcing Buffalo State College’s policies on academic misconduct, including the possible use of textual similarity detection software, the minimum penalty for plagiarism is an F on the assignment. For more information on plagiarism, how to footnote, or how to write a research paper consult the relevant sections of Benjamin’s A Student’s Guide to History. If you are still unclear about when or how to cite please come see me during my office hours. That is why I am there.
Since much of what is out on the internet is of dubious quality, the use of web pages as source material is strictly forbidden unless authorized by me in writing. The only exceptions to this rule are the individual web sites that I have assigned as required reading material. On a similar note, the use of encyclopedias is also forbidden. While they may be useful reference tools or for providing an overview of a particular topic, encyclopedias have no place in college level work. Articles in historical encyclopedias (i.e. The Encyclopedia of European Social History) may be acceptable, but must first be cleared by me in writing.
I am obviously a firm believer in written assignments since they help develop organizational, analytical and communication skills, all of which are things you will need in the workplace. Consequently, I expect you to treat all graded assignments (in this or any other class) as preparations for your future career. Turning in business reports that are filled with grammatical errors, failures in logic, poor argumentation and lack of evidence portrays a degree of incompetence, even if it is undeserved, and will probably get you fired. Get in the habit now of proofreading your work to catch typos, misspellings and nonsensical statements. Read your papers aloud to see how they sound. Better still, have a friend or roommate read your work since they are more likely to notice any problems. Most of you will be writing your papers on wordprocessors. No matter what program you use, they all have spell checkers. It is silly and self-defeating not to make use of them.
While I do not allow rewrites once papers have been graded, I will read and comment on rough drafts if I am given enough time. Alternatively, you may want to consult either the campus writing center or some of the history tutors for help or advice. Keep your notes and copies of your paper to facilitate rewrites and to safeguard against loss, computer errors, random destruction by pets and similar catastrophes. Finally, and most importantly, if you are having any problems in this course come see me.
Book Analysis Papers
All students will write 2 five page (1500 word) historical analyses of Maryse Conde’s Segu and Mongo Beti’s The Poor Christ of Bomba. Since these are an analysis and not “book reports” I am not interested in plot summaries. Similarly, I am not interested in whether you liked the book or found it interesting. Your analysis paper should analyze and critique the author’s portrayal of some of the historical events or themes covered in this course. Plot details may be used as evidence to support your analysis. Use the following questions as a guide when reading and thinking about the review; they are, however, by no means all inclusive, nor do you need to answer each one. How does the novel portray historical events or themes covered in class? For example, how do they depict the impact of European colonial rule on indigenous societies? How was African culture, religion, politics and social structure affected by the arrival of the Europeans? What insights do the novels provide on historical issues like the Mfecane, Fulani jihads, the rise of colonial nationalism or the onset of the world wars? How accurate are these depictions? Have they added to your understanding of African history? You will need to be selective in choosing which elements to include in your reviews since both works are very complex and illustrate many historical trends. You will also need to incorporate and cite historical evidence drawn from other class materials in order to support your points.
As you will discover, 5 pages provides barely enough room to introduce a topic, let alone go into much detail. Hence, your papers should have a narrowly defined thesis and must be very selective in both their use and presentation of supporting evidence or examples. Since these papers are so short keep quotations to a minimum so that you will have more room to develop your own thoughts and arguments. To strengthen your argument(s), however, your reviews should draw upon and cite specific examples from the novel as well as corroborating evidence. There is ample material on which to base your papers in my lectures and your textbooks; outside materials, although always welcome, are not required.
Research Paper
In addition to the book analyses, all students will write a 10-12 page (3000-3600 word) paper on a topic of their own choice. While the actual topics for your papers are up to you, they must remain within the geographical and temporal confines of this course. The paper should analyze some facet of modern African history in detail. To that end, and to help you identify sources, all paper topics must be cleared with me first in the form of a written paper proposal due no later than March 3. Complete proposals will outline your topic, the specific issues you intend to address, and must include a bibliography. If, after you have begun researching and writing your paper, you choose to use additional sources, you must submit an amended bibliography to me in writing. Papers that use unauthorized materials will not be accepted. Similarly, papers that deviate significantly from your research proposal will also not be accepted. This does not mean, however, that you are permanently locked in to a particular paper topic; if you change your mind and opt to pursue some other topic you must submit a new paper proposal which may or may not be accepted at my discretion. In order to find suitable research materials you will need to go beyond what is in our library catalog by making use of the JSTOR, Worldcat, and Academic Search Complete databases. Completed papers are due in class on May 7.
Possible paper topics include
Usman dan Fodio and the Fulani Jihads The Fashoda Incident
The Algerian War of Independence The Herero Revolt
Mungo Park and the Exploration of Niger African Reactions to Missionary Education
Stanley & the Creation of the Belgian Congo The Chilembwe Uprising