L.HIS 162 - The Scramble for Africa

Credits: 3

This course will offer an in-depth investigation into the “Scramble for Africa” which took place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as European powers arbitrarily carved up the continent and created approximately 40 colonies and protectorates. The material will critically engage with the proliferation of European geographic societies, the culture of maps and cartography, and how the cultural, social, economic, and geopolitical consequences behind the creation of these former colonial borders continue to significantly influence and impact many present-day issues throughout the continent. Students will use resources in the campus library and other online map collections to conduct research and produce a work of digital history as well as participate in a role-playing simulation of the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 which set up the parameters for the partition of the African continent.
Prerequisite: None
Co-requisite: None
General Education Classification: Not Applicable