BAFD 3430

European colonial rulers and business interests laid out the framework of the sub-Saharan African colonial order from about 1850 to the 1920s, seeking ways to exploit African labour and natural resources. But imperial plans were limited and sometimes frustrated by African interests, and by historical dynamics within Africa, such as the rise of new merchants and Islamic revolution. This course assesses how the realities of Africa intersected with European imperial ambitions to profoundly change African society during this early colonial period.