 Internet African History Sourcebook Editor:Paul Halsall
This page is a subset of texts derived from the three major onlineSourcebooks listed below, along with added texts and web site indicators. | Notes: | In addition to direct links to documents, links are made to a number of other web resources. |
| Link to a secondary article, review or discussion on a given topic. | | Link to a website focused on a specific issue.. These are not links to every site on a given topic, but to sites of serious educational value. |
Contents
African History: General General Debates Note that these "debates" may have more to do with modern United States society than African history.
Black Athena Debate Cheikh Anta Diop Stolen Legacy Back to Index
African Origins Human Origins Back to Index
Egypt Back to Index
Other Ancient African Societies General Nubia Libya and Western North Africa/Mauretania - Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE):On Libya from The Histories, c. 430 BCE [At this Site]
- Accounts of Ancient Mauretania c. 430 BCE - 550 CE [At this Site]
From Herodotus, Strabo, and Procopius of Caesarea.
Nok Culture Gambia Back to Index
Greek and Roman Africa General - Accounts of Ancient Nubia & Ethiopia c. 430 BCE - 550 CE [At this Site]
From Herodotus, Strabo, Diodorus, the King of Axum, and Procopius of Caesarea. - Accounts of Ancient Mauretania c. 430 BCE- 550 CE [At this Site]
From Herodotus, Strabo, and Procopius of Caesarea - The Periplus [Was At CCNY, now Internet Archive]
Written by a Greek resident of Alexandria in Egypt during the first century BCE, this text is one of the oldest surviving accounts of the countries on Africa's east coast. A map gives some idea of the size and scope of Africa and of the author's journey. - The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century, complete. [At this Site]
Greek Colonies Roman Africa Byzantine Africa - Procopius:The Reconquest of Africa 534, fromOn the Wars IV:9 [At this Site]
A description of Belisarius' triumph, with Gelimer, King of the Vandal's in tow.
Back to Index
Ethiopia and Christianity General Back to Index
Africa and Islam General Egypt Maghreb States Culture Back to Index
African Societies General West Africa - Saharan Trade: A Link Between Europe and Africa [Was At Advanced, now Internet Archive]
With maps of Ghana, Mali and Songhay. - Gronniosaw, James Albert Ukawsaw:A narrative of the most remarkable particulars in the life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, an African prince, written by himself. published Newport, RI, 1774 [At UNC] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Early Arab Accounts of West Africa (Al Bakri; Al-Umari; Ibn Batutta; Leo Africanus), in one PDF file. [At AUI] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Ghana [A non-Muslim Kingdom, lasts until c. 1235 CE]
- Mali [A Muslim Empire, from c. 1235 CE. Declines 15th Cent.]
- The Legend of Sundiata [Was At Princeton, now Internt Archive]
- Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by Djibriltamsir Niane, trans G.D. Pickett PDF file [At Boston] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Map of Mansa Musa's Northern Africa From Bibliothèque Nationale de France. [Now Intertnet Archive]
Map of North Africa in which figures the Atlas Mountains, the king of Mali (Mansa Musa), the king of Organa, the king of Nubia, the king of Bablyon, and the Red Sea. (BNF, ESP 30) Atlas Catalan, Spain, Majorca, c, 14th Century - Al Umri:Mali and Mansa Musa 1324 [At Boston] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Richard Hooker:Mali [Was At WSU, now Internet Archive]
- Songhay [Exists from 11th Cent. Challenges Mali from c. 1400 CE. Ends early 17th Cent.]
- Leo Africanus:Songhai 1500s [At Boston] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Richard Hooker:Songhay [Was At WSU, now Internet Archive]
- The Hausa Kingdoms
- Kanem-Bornu
- Benin
- Richard Eden:Decades of the new World 1555 [Was At WSU, now Internet Archive]
European traders at the royal court of Benin.
- The Forest Kingdoms
East Africa Zimbabwe Bands and Segementary Societies Cultures Religion - African High Gods [Was At Mircea Eliade Page, now Internet Archive]
- Creation Stories [Was At Mircea Eliade Page, now Internet Archive]
- Relations with the Divine [Was At Mircea Eliade Page, now Internet Archive]
- Religious Specialists [Was At Mircea Eliade Page, now Internet Archive]
Back to Index
The Impact of Slavery General The Slave Trade Enslaved People - Oladuah Equiano: The Life of Gustavus Vassa [At this Site]
- Oladuah Equiano: The Life of Gustavus Vassa excerpts [Was At Northpark, now Internet Archive]
- Oladuah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, London, 1789 [At Brycchan Carey] [Internet Archive backuphere]
- Oladuah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, London, 1789 [At newsreel.com] [Internet Archive backuphere]
- American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology [At Virginia] [Internet Archive backuphere]
- North American Slave Narratives [At UNC] [Internet Archive backuphere]
- Excerpts from Slave Narratives [At UHouston] [Internet Archive backuphere]
Edited by Steven Mintz. Includes accounts from enslavement to the end of slavery in the US. All texts below are links to the Houston site]- A European slave trader, John Barbot, describes the African slave trade (1682)
- A Muslim merchant, Ayubah Suleiman Diallo, recalls his capture and enslavement (1733)
- Olaudah Equiano, an 11-year old Ibo from Nigeria remembers his kidnapping into slavery (1789)
- Venture Smith relates the story of his kidnapping at the age of six (1798)
- A European slave trader, James Bardot, Jr., describes a shipboard revolt by enslaved Africans (1700)
- Olaudah Equiano describes the horrors of the Middle Passage (1789)
- A doctor, Alexander Falconbridge, describes conditions on an English slaver (1788)
- Olaudah Equiano describes his arrival in the New World (1789)
- An English physician, Alexander Falconbridge, describes the treatment of newly arrived slaves in the West Indies (1788)
- Olaudah Equiano describes West African religious beliefs and practices (1789)
- Charles Ball remembers a slave funeral, which incorporated traditional African customs (1837)
- Peter Randolph describes the religious gathers slaves held outside of their master's supervision (1893)
- Henry Bibb discusses "conjuration" (1849)
The Ending of Slavery
Back to Index
European Imperialism General Analyses and Criticism of Imperialism - John A. Hobson (1858-1940):Imperialism 1902, excerpts [At this Site]
- John A. Hobson (1858-1940):The Economic Bases of Imperialism [At Marxists.org]
- Vladimir Illyich Lenin (1870-1924):Imperialism and the Split in Socialism 1916 [At Marxists.org][Full Text]
- Vladimir Illyich Lenin (1870-1924):Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism 1916 [At Marxists.org][Full Text]
- Edward Morel: The Black Man's Burden, 1903, excerpts [At this Site]
- Joseph Conrad (1857-1924): Heart of Darkness, 1902, short extracts [Was At WSU, now Internet Archive]
- Joseph Conrad (1857-1924): Heart of Darkness, 1902, full text [Project Gutenberg]
- Joseph A. Schumpeter: The Sociology of Imperialism 1918 [At this Site]
- George Orwell:Shooting an Elephant [At George Orwell.org][Full Text]
- Gerald Remphal:The New Imperialism [Was At WNEC, now Internet Archive]
Exploration/Missionary Activities British Africa Belgian Africa - Léopold II:Lettre de au Ministre Beernaert au sujet de l'Etat indépendant du Congo 3 juillet 1890. In French [Was at Skynet, now Internet Archive]
- Henry Morton Stanley:"Is he not in Congo-land?" Excerpts from the writings of the nineteenth-century explorer From Through the Dark Continent (1878) and The Founding of the Congo Free State (1885) [Was At The Atlantic Magazine, now Internet Archive]
- Roger Casement (1864–1916):The Casement Report Correspondence and Report from His Majesty's Consul at Boma Respecting the Administration of the Independent State of the Congo 1904 full text [Project Gutenberg]
"TheCasement Report [Wikipedia] detailed abuses in the Congo Free State which was under the private ownership of King Leopold II of Belgium. This report was instrumental in Leopold finally relinquishing his private holdings in Africa. Leopold had held ownership of the Congolese state since 1885, granted to him by the Berlin Conference, in which he exploited its natural resources (mostly rubber) for his own private wealth. " - Joseph Conrad (1857-1924): Heart of Darkness, 1902, short extracts [Was At WSU, now Internet Archive]
- Joseph Conrad (1857-1924): Heart of Darkness, 1902, full text [Project Gutenberg]
- The Congo [Was At Cayuga, now Internet Archive]
French Africa German Africa Portuguese Africa South Africa Liberia Back to Index
The Fight for Independence General Algeria Ghana Kenya South Africa Back to Index
Modern Africa General - Syllabus:Ethnicity, Class and Power in Twentieth-Century Africa [Was At H-Net, now Internet Archive]
- Ancestors in Africa: [Was At University of Kent, now Internet Archive]
Selected readings and Mambila case material prepared by David Zeitlyn as part of the Experience Rich Anthropology Project - Africa Speaks: West African University Students Write About Their Lives [Now At Internet Archive]
"The texts were written in 1990-92 at the University of Niamey, Niger Republic, in classes taught by Patricia Stoll. They provide unique and authentic insights into the lives of young Africans." - Robert D. Kaplan:The Coming Anarchy February 1996, andProportionalism August 1996,The Atlantic Monthly [Was At The Atlantic, now Internet Archive]
Address Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and the US response. - African Lives [At Washington Post][Internet Archive versionhere]
- Africa: Country Studies
Prepared for Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the Department of the Army. These are full descriptions of the countries concerned, in terms of history, geography, economy, etc. There are also useful bibliographies. [At LOC]
International Organizations Continuing Imperialism Angola - Angola Constitution, 1992 [At Bern]
Algeria - The Islamic Salvation Front National Provisional Executive Bureau:Communique No. 42 Algiers, November 14 1993 [Was At Cornell, now Internet Archive]
Cameroons - Mama for story [Was at UKC, now Internet Archive]
Texts from David Zeitlyn and Ian Fowler on Cameroons.
Congo [Brazzaville] - Congo (Brazzaville) Constitution, 1992 [At ICL]
Congo [Zaire] Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia - Richard Pankhurst:Collection of Essays [Was At Abyssinia Cyber Gateway, now Internet Archive]
Covers all aspects of Ethiopian history from ancient times to the present. - Map of Ethiopia [At Upenn]
- Images from Ethiopia
- Ethiopia Page [Was At Abbysinia Gateway, now Internet Archive]
A comprehensive listing of Ethiopia links, ancient and modern..
Gambia - Nijii [Was Momodou Camara's Homepage, now Internet Archive]
Kenya Liberia - Liberia: UN Report (excerpts) Security Council S/1996/47, 23 January 1996 Fifteenth Progress Report. [Was At Africa Action, now Internet Archive]
Madagascar - Madagascar Constitution, 1992 [At ICL]
- David Graeber:The Disastrous Ordeal of 1987: an historical ethnography about a village called Betafo in central Madagascar. [Was At H-Net, now Internet Archive]
Malawi Mauritania Morocco - Morocco Constitution, 1992 [At ICL]
Namibia - Elizabeth Marshall Thomas:The Desert [Was At One World, now Internet Archive]
- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas:The Birth [Was At One World, now Internet Archive]
- Namibia Constitution, 1990 [At ICL]
Nigeria Rwanda - Rwanda Constitution, 1991 [ICL]
- The Atlantic Report: Rwanda The Atlantic Monthly, June 1964, [Was At The Atlantic, now Internet Archive]
- Stanley Meisler: Rwanda and Burundi The Atlantic Monthly, September 1973, [Was At The Atlantic, now Internet Archive]
discusses the genocide of 1973, long before the genocide of1994. - Violence and Unrest in Central AfricaThe Atlantic Monthly, November 1996, [Was At The Atlantic, now Internet Archive]
South Africa Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe - Rhodesia:Unilateral Declaration of Independence Documents 1965 [At this Site]
- Prime Minister Ian Smith: Announcement of Unilateral Declaration of Independence, November 11, 1965
- Prime Minister Harold Wilson: The Position of the British Government on the Unilateral Declaration of Independenec by Rhodesia, Speech to Parliament, November 11,1965
- Soviet Government Statement: The Situation in Southern Rhodesia, November 15, 1965
Back to Index
Gender and Sexualities in Modern Africa - Women's Lives
- Constructions of Masculinity
- Female Circumcision/Female Genital Mutilation
- Homosexuality
Back to Index
Further Resources on African History [Note this was once quite an extensive section, but guides to the web turned out to bevery hard to maintain. Good advice now is to look up African history on Wikipedia and consult the further resources links at the bottom of many articles. Wikipedia is never a place to end research but it is a good place to start.]
- WEB GUIDES
- AFRICA INFORMATION SOURCES
- Timeline [Was At Central Oregon CC, now Internet Archive]
Splendid multi part chronology, with links to texts, images, discussions. The best of the timelines online. - WebChron: Africa [Was At Then Again, now Internet Archive]
Useful chronology.
- ACADEMIC PAGES
- OTHER AFRICAN STUDIES RESOURCES
- Clyde Winters Page [Was Geocities, now Internet Archive]
Beyond "Afrocentrism." Winters posts article on the African origin of *every* culture - China, Olmecs, Maya, Harrapa, etc. - Christine's African American Genealogy Site [Internet Archive versionhere]
A really good site on African and African-American genealogy. - Mircea Eliade:From Primitives to Zen [Was at Eliade, now Internet Archive]
Complete texts of Eliade's religion anthology online.
Back to Index
Other Resources Back to Index
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NOTES: TheInternetAfrica History Sourcebook is part of theInternet History Sourcebooks Project. The date of inception was 1998. Links to files at other site are indicated by [At some indication of the site name or location]. indicates a link to one of small number of high quality web sites which provide either more texts or an especially valuable overview.
TheInternet History Sourcebooks Project is located at theHistory Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at theFordham University Center for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.
©Site Concept and Design:Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 20 Nov 2025 [CV] |
