HIST 241 Introduction to Black History: From Africa to Emancipation

This course offers students an introduction to the Black history of the Americas, from African origins to emancipation, with particular emphasis on the United States. While mainstream histories of the US often focus on white Americans' debates about slavery and emancipation, we will instead take an Africana Studies approach that centers the experiences and ideas of Black people themselves and their massive contribution to the making of the modern world. Topics covered include African society and culture, the Atlantic slave trade, the experience of slavery and resistance to it, African influences in Black and broader American culture, Black participation in revolutionary movements, Black abolitionism, and emancipation. We will read both primary sources of the time as well as secondary texts which reflect on this period and its importance for contemporary Black cultures. The course includes lecture and discussion elements, and students will complete two exams and write multiple short papers dealing with the course readings. This course counts as a foundational course in History or Political Theory within the liberal arts core requirements and is an ideal course for students considering the Africana Studies minor.

Cross Listed Courses

AFRI 241 & HIST 241