West Africa Before The Colonial Era

This is a survey of pre-colonial West Africa, written by the internationally respected author and journalist, Basil Davidson. He takes as his starting point his successful textA History of West Africa 1000-1800, but he has reworked his new text specially for a wider international readership. In the process he offers a fascinating introduction to the rich societies and cultures of Africa before the coming of the Europeans.

There has long been a need for a new textbook on West Africa’s history. In Themes in West Africa’s History, editor Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong and his contributors meet this need, examining key themes in West Africa’s prehistory to the present through the lenses of their different disciplines. The contents of the book comprise an introduction and thirteen chapters divided into three parts. Each chapter provides an overview of existing literature on major topics, as well as a short list of recommended reading, and breaks new ground through the incorporation of original research. The first part of the book examines paths to a West African past, including perspectives from archaeology, ecology and culture, linguistics, and oral traditions. Part two probes environment, society, and agency and historical change through essays on the slave trade, social inequality, religious interaction, poverty, disease, and urbanization. Part three sheds light on contemporary West Africa in exploring how economic and political developments have shaped religious expression and identity in significant ways. Themes in West Africa’s History represents a range of intellectual views and interpretations from leading scholars on West Africa’s history. It will appeal to college undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars in the way it draws on different disciplines and expertise to bring together key themes in West Africa’s history, from prehistory to the present.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world. But its current status has skewed our understanding of the economy before colonization. Rönnbäck reconstructs the living standards of the population at a time when the Atlantic slave trade brought money and men into the area, enriching our understanding of West African economic development.

From its ancient kingdoms to the independent post-colonial states that make up the region today, western Africa has transformed dramatically over the centuries. Economically lucrative for European slave traders and later for their colonial successors, the territories along Africas Atlantic coast were forced to overcome great adversity before achieving autonomy. This volume surveys the history of the many nations of western Africa where vestiges of its celebrated past are still visible in cities like Timbuktu and where its diverse peoples continue to navigate a path towards a more stable future.

This is the standard account of the economic history of the vast area conventionally known as West Africa. Ranging from prehistoric time to independence it covers the former French as well as British colonies.

An outline history of West Africa from 900AD up until the end of the colonial period and the re-emergence of independent African states in the 1960s. Topics covered include political development, the European scramble for colonies, the Islamic revolution and the slave trade.

A history of slavery during the 19th and 20th centuries in three former French colonies.

Charts the rise and fall of states across western Africa, from the 15th century to the early 20th century. Examines how states evolved and how they reacted to new alliances.