African history

Tippu Tip: East Africa’s Most Powerful and Richest Slave Trader in the 18th Century

Tippu Tip was an Arab–Zanzibari slave trader who sold tens of thousands of people into bondage in the Arabian peninsula and beyond.

The Leper Tree of Liwonde, Malawi

The "Leper Tree," as it has become known, remains standing till this very day. On its trunk is a hand-painted sign that reads: "The grave for individuals who suffered from leprosy in the past."

Bandiagara Escarpment – The Remote Cliff Dwellings of the Dogon People of Mali

The Bandiagara Escarpment is an escarpment in the Dogon country of Mali. The area of the escarpment is inhabited today by the Dogon people. Before the Dogon, the escarpment was inhabited by the Tellem and Toloy peoples.

The First Military Coup in Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa

The first ever military coup in Africa occurred in Egypt on 23 July 1952 with the toppling of King Farouk in a coup d'etat by the Free officers Movement.

Thomas-Alexandre Dumas: the First Black General in the French Army

Thomas-Alexandre Dumas is the first ever black man to lead a European army. He was the first person of color in the French military to become brigadier general, the first to become divisional general, and the first to become general-in-chief of a French army.

Caty Louette, the most Powerful Female Slave Trader in Senegal’s Gorée Island in the 1800s

Caty Louette, was one of the most powerful female slave trader on Goree Island, a tiny, island off the coast of Dakar, in Senegal

Anthropology Days: The Racist Olympic Event of 1904

The shameless Anthropology Days exhibition was held during the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, where natives from foreign lands participated in various “special Olympic” events.

From World’s Youngest President to World’s Poorest Former President: the Unusual Case of Valentine Strasser

Valentine Strasser is an ex-military leader of Sierra Leone who took power in a 1992 coup at the age of 25, making him the youngest head of state in the world.

Ana Joaquina Dos Santos: Meet the Most Successful Slave Trader in Angola in the 1830s

Ana Joaquina dos Santos y Silva also referred to as Dona Ana Mulata was a rich entrepreneur who was very active in the transatlantic slave trade business. She is perhaps the biggest slave trader in Angola in the 1830's.

Africa Re-Viewed: Rare Photos of 20th Century Africa

A photographer's Rare 20th Century Look at Africa: Eliot Elisofon was an internationally known photographer and filmmaker whose enduring visual record of African life from 1947 to 1972 was published in magazines such as Life and the National Geographic.
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South Carolina Negro Act of 1740: The Code that Prohibited Enslaved Africans from Learning to Read

Passed by the South Carolina Assembly on the 10th of May, 1740, the Negro Act was a comprehensive set...