Key Events in African History: A Reference Guide

by Toyin Falola

Overview

A reference guide to 36 watershed events in African history that will enrich students' understanding of the history of the continent from prehistoric times to the present

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313006685
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/30/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

TOYIN FALOLA is the Frances Higginbothom Nalle Centennial Professor in History at the University of Texas, Austin. A distinguished Africanist, Falola serves on the editorial board of many jourbanals, co-edits the Jourbanal of African Economic History, and serves as the series editor of the University of Rochester's Studies in African History and the Diaspora. He is also series editor of the Greenwood Press series Culture and Customs of Africa. His publications include many essays and books on Nigeria, including Decolonization and Development Planning (1996), Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Secular Ideologies (1998), and The History of Nigeria (Greenwood, 1999).

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Acknowledgments	xi
	Timeline of Historical Events	xiii
Part I.	The Ancient and Precolonial Period
	Africa: An Overview	3
1.	The Prehistoric Past: The Evolution of Homo sapiens sapiens, 40,000 B.C.	18
2.	The Agricultural Revolution, 5000 B.C.+	26
3.	The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, 3100 B.C.+	34
4.	The Iron Age and the Spread of Bantu Speakers, 730 B.C.+	43
5.	The Rise of Kush and Aksum, 730 B.C.+	54
6.	The Greeks and Romans in North Africa, 332 B.C.+	62
7.	Ethiopia: The Emergence of a Christian Kingdom, A.D. 1250+	69
8.	The Spread of Islam, A.D. 622 Onward	79
9.	Kingdoms of West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay, A.D. 1000-1600	90
10.	The Rise of the Swahili City-States of East Africa, Tenth-Fourteenth Century A.D.	102
11.	The Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440-1870	110
12.	The Organization of Societies, Fifteenth Century A.D. Onward	119
Part II.	The Nineteenth-Century Period
13.	The Outbreak of Islamic Jihad, 1804	131
14.	Wars and Revolution among the Yoruba, 1817-93	140
15.	The Spread of Christianity, 1804 Onward	149
16.	The Rise of Muhammad Ali of Egypt, 1811-47	159
17.	The Mfecane: Shaka and the Zulu Kingdom, 1816-40	167
18.	European Conquest and African Response, 1885-1900	175
Part III.	The Twentieth-Century Period
19.	The Colonial Experience, 1900-1939	187
20.	The Entrenchment of Apartheid in South Africa, 1948	197
21.	Africa Drawn into the Second World War, 1940-45	205
22.	The End of European Rule, 1951-90	212
23.	Violence to Gain National Liberation, 1952-62	221
24.	Confrontation with the Gains and Pains of Independence, 1958-70	231
25.	The Formation of the Organization of African Unity, 1963	239
26.	Coups, Counter Coups, and Military Regimes, 1963 Onward	246
27.	Ujamaa and Policy Choices, 1967 Onward	254
28.	The Creation of the Economic Community of West African States, 1975	262
29.	Portuguese Colonies Attain Freedom, 1975	270
30.	Cultural Revival and Cultural Inventory: The Second World Black Festival of Arts and Culture, 1977	281
31.	The Women's Decade, 1975-85	289
32.	A Continent in Deep Crisis, 1980 Onward	297
33.	Environmental Challenges, 1980s Onward	305
34.	African Refugees, 1980 Onward	312
35.	Africa in World Politics in Transition, 1980s Onward	320
36.	The Fall of Apartheid and the Advent of Nelson Mandela's Government, 1994-99	328
	Index	337

Editorial Reviews

Gr 10 Up-A compact overview and summary of events that have shaped the history of the African continent. Preceding the text is a time line covering 40,000 B.C. to A.D. 2001, divided into four periods: "Ancient," "Precolonial," "Colonial," and "Postcolonial." The 36 scholarly chapters that follow take a chronological approach. They examine the growth of kingdoms and various cultures on the continent, the diverse peoples and geographies that contribute to its history, and outside influences. Chapters include: "The Iron Age and the Spread of Bantu Speakers, 730 B.C.+," "The Rise of Kush and Aksum, 730 B.C.+," and "The Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440-1870." Aspects of Islam, apartheid, national liberation, and recent environmental challenges are also addressed. Simple black-and-white maps and some average-quality photos and reproductions appear throughout. A bibliography concludes each chapter. This survey will prove useful as a reference source for advanced students. It should also find a home in circulating collections.-Janet Woodward, Garfield High School, Seattle, WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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