In December 1941, African miners in the Belgian Congo went on strike to demand higher wages. The cost of living had risen sharply during the Second World War, while African workers were earning far less than their European counterparts....
In 1890, a Black American travelled deep into Central Africa expecting to witness one of Europe’s great civilizing projects. Instead, he encountered forced labour, violence and terror that would become one of the greatest scandals of European colonialism. His...
When European powers began their rush to conquer Africa in the nineteenth century, they did not enter a completely unknown continent. Long before European armies arrived to establish colonial administrations, missionaries had already travelled deep into African territories, established...
In the early 1940s, a young girl from the Casamance region of Senegal became one of the most influential spiritual figures in her community. Her name was Aline Sitoé Diatta. A Diola spiritual leader, she would eventually become known...
In January 1895, King Koko of Nembe launched one of the most daring attacks against British interests in nineteenth century West Africa. Leading about 1,500 warriors in 22 war canoes, he struck the Royal Niger Company’s headquarters at Akassa,...
Long before the Scramble for Africa formally divided the continent among European powers, a prince from the Kingdom of Kongo publicly condemned Portuguese interference in African affairs. Prince Dom Nicolau de Água Rosada, also known as Dom Nicolau of...
When European colonial powers conquered Africa, they did not only seek political control. They also attempted to reshape African societies by imposing European systems of government, education, and religion. Across the continent, many traditional rulers came under intense pressure...
When European powers carved Africa into colonies in the late nineteenth century, they faced an immediate economic problem: the people they intended to exploit had no reason to work for them. Africans across the continent were largely self-sufficient, farming...
In September 1887, British officials invited king Jaja, the powerful ruler of Opobo in present-day Nigeria, to what appeared to be a diplomatic meeting aboard a British vessel. Instead of negotiations, he was arrested. Within days, the king who...
Gungunhana, often called the Lion of Gaza, was one of the last major African rulers to resist European colonial conquest in southeastern Africa. He ruled the powerful Gaza Empire, which covered large parts of present-day Mozambique and portions of...
