HIST 3430 - Caravans of Gold

4 Semester Hours
HIST-3430 explores historic developments that occurred on the African continent, south of the Sahara, from 1500-1850 by concentrating on two main themes - traditions and encounters. The theme of traditions builds on archaeological, oral, and written evidence to reconstruct the impressive cultural and political achievements of Africans that attracted the attention of outsiders. The theme of encounters directs attention to communications, interactions, and exchanges that have linked African societies to their neighbors and the larger Eurasian world. These cross-cultural encounters have been the source of the most effective agents of change in all of world history, profoundly influenced African societies, and changed the global balance of power.