HIS 394

Ghana, the Slave Trade, and the African Diaspora

This course explores the history, culture, and politics of Ghana, especially Ghana's role in the African diaspora. First, it examines Ghana's centrality in the transatlantic slave trade. Second, this course highlights the significance of Ghana as the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from European colonial rule. Third, it discusses Ghana's role as a center for Pan-Africanism and African Nationalism under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, the country's first prime minister/president. Additionally, the course places significant emphasis and attention on the impact of the slave trade on the peoples of the Gold Coast and on the lives of those who would become African Americans. The course will conclude with an examination of contemporary political and economic issues in the Republic of Ghana.

Units: 3.0