Course Syllabus

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HIST 479: History of Imperialism and Nationalism in Africa

Overview

CATEGORY INFORMATION
Credits 3
Prerequisites HIST 191
Delivery Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com)
Dates See the Calendar.
Instructor See the Orientation module under the Modules tab.

Description

This course is a one-semester survey covering the history of imperialism and nationalism in modern Africa (beginning in the 19th century). The course is primarily organized chronologically, but common thematic issues and realities will be emphasized throughout.

Students should depart from this course with a comprehensive understanding of modern African history. More specifically, they should understand the nature of African colonialism, nationalism, and colonialism’s enduring impact. Finally—and perhaps most importantly—students should be more equipped to communicate effectively and make evidence-based arguments.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Define and distinguish between different theories of imperialism and anti-colonial resistance in Africa, including their causes, methods, and consequences.
  2. Identify and discuss key nations, figures, and events in the history of colonial and post-colonial African history.
  3. Explain the nature(s) of African nationalisms, including the roles of race and religion.
  4. Compare and contrast the consequences of colonization and de-colonization in Africa.
  5. Discuss the importance of Christianity, commerce, and civilization in the imperial enterprise.
  6. Connect themes and history from the course to contemporary society.
  7. Apply methods such as argumentative writing in order to communicate ideas and information in a way that is clear, evidence-based, and persuasive.

Organization

This course is made up of 15 lessons.

For a typical lesson, you will complete the following activities and assignments:

  • Explore online course content.
  • Read a few assigned readings.
  • Take a quiz.
  • Participate in a discussion.

In addition, you will complete the following assignments: four essays and a multi-step Alternative History Project.

Online Learning and Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Materials

Texts

The following texts are REQUIRED:

  • Shillington, K. (2018). History of Africa, 4th ed. London: Red Globe Press. [978-1137504036]

Library Services

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

Course Reserves

There are electronic resources on reserve for this course that can be accessed through the Penn State Libraries. To access your Course Reserves, please use the Library Resources tab in the course navigation menu. For any questions you may have about viewing or printing your Course Reserves, refer to the View and Print Electronic Course Reserves page at https://libraries.psu.edu/services/course-reserves/using-electronic-reserves/view-and-print-electronic-course-reserves.

Grading

Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.

Scale

LETTER
GRADE		 MINIMUM
PERCENT		 MINIMUM
POINTS
A 94 940
A- 90 900
B+ 87 870
B 84 840
B- 80 800
C+ 77 770
C 70 700
D 60 600
F 0 0

Due Dates

All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10622.

As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Notes

  • To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.
  • Late Assignments: Late assignments will lose the point equivalent of 10 percent per calendar day, and they will not be accepted later than four calendar days after the due date. Given the time-sensitive, interactive nature of discussions, replies will not be accepted after a lesson ends.

Assignments

Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.

You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within 7 days of their due date.

ASSIGNMENT
GROUP		 POINTS
Quizzes 75
Discussions 120
Essays 300
Alternative History Project 505
Total 1000

Quizzes

Value: 15 x 5 PTS, 75 PTS total

Each lesson ends with a 5-question, multiple-choice quiz covering the lesson material. If you do not achieve a perfect score on the first attempt, you will be afforded another opportunity. Quizzes will encourage you to illustrate that you understand important names, events, and dates from each lesson.

Discussions

Value: 12 x 10 PTS, 120 PTS total

Discussions will require you to convey your ideas and reactions to material and prompts from the lesson to classmates and the instructor. They will enable you to interact with your peers in a constructive and mutually-beneficial way. All discussions will involve the whole class.

For every discussion, you will make an initial reply and respond to the questions in the discussion forum's directions. Write approximately 50-100 words in total. In addition, you will make at least three replies to classmates. Your initial reply is always due a few days earlier than your replies to classmates. We encourage you to make your initial reply as early in the week as possible so that everyone else in the class has a chance to respond to your ideas. Your replies to classmates are due at the end of the week.

Your discussion contributions will be graded based on the following criteria: task completion (quantity and timeliness of your replies) and content quality (clarity and support of your ideas). For more information, see the rubric in each discussion forum.

Essays

Value: 4 x 75 PTS, 300 PTS total

Essays are intellectual spaces where you can formally engage the material and work out your own ideas and opinions based on what you have learned in the lesson. For each essay, you should only consider the individual lesson’s course material (lecture, readings, resources, etc.). Although the prompt will vary from assignment to assignment, you will generally be encouraged to recognize and analyze the natures and legacies of African colonialism, Africa's role in modern world history, and the interconnected nature of European, American, and African histories.

During the semester, you will write a total of FOUR essays. For certain essays, you will analyze a major topic relating to the lesson. For other essays, you will analyze a primary source embedded in the lecture. From Lesson 01 to Lesson 07, select and complete TWO essays: one topic analysis and one primary source analysis. From Lesson 08 to Lesson 15, select and complete TWO additional essays: another topic analysis and another primary source analysis.

Each essay will be graded based on the following criteria: content quality, content quantity, writing, and format. Apply knowledge from the lesson in a manner that is compelling, coherent, concise, and relevant to the topic. Write 2-3 pages (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced) for the main body and include a references page. Write in APA format and follow basic rules of strong academic writing. For more information, see the rubric in each drop box.

Alternative History Project

Value: 30 PTS (Part 0: Prep Work), 125 PTS (Part 1: Flag), 125 PTS (Part 2: Inauguration Speech), 225 PTS (Part 3: History Essay), 505 PTS total

For the final project, you will use the information learned in this course to craft a revisionist history of a former European colony that has recently achieved independence. Using a real-life African anti-colonial rebellion that failed, you will pretend that the revolt actually succeeded and resulted in the formation of a new nation. You will put yourself in the position of "nation-builder"—a position occupied by many of the figures you will have studied during the course.

The final project will consist of four parts. Part 0 is a preparation step, and Parts 1-3 involve creating products.

  • Part 0: Prep Work: You will decide from a pre-determined list which African rebellion (and territory) to work on. After completing a process of research, experimentation, and evaluation, you will create two products: a thesis statement and an outline. You will also set up a website.
  • Part 1: Flag: You will design a flag for the newly independent nation and write a short explanation of the flag.
  • Part 2: Inaugural Speech: You will write an inauguration speech for the first head of government (president or prime minister). You will also explain the context of the speech.
  • Part 3: History Essay: You will write an essay about the rebellion, the new nation, and its prospects for the future. You will explain whether the country would have succeeded as an independent nation (and why).

You will display your products from Parts 1-3 on your website. At the end of the project, your instructor will publish a list of all of the students' websites.

For more information, see the sub-assignments for the project in the Alternative History Project module.

Final Exam

None

Title IX

I am deeply committed to ensuring a safe environment for all of my students! I encourage all victims of sexual harassment or assault to consult resources that you have at your disposal. For Penn State’s Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response, please visit https://titleix.psu.edu/ or contact Christopher Harris (Penn State’s Title IX coordinator for University Park) at 814-867-0099 or cjh41@psu.edu for more information.

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) provides group and individual counseling, crisis intervention, and psychological and psychiatric evaluations for undergraduate and graduate students as well as prevention and consultation services for the University community. See this link for more information: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. 

University Policies

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.   

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity).

Unless your instructor tells you otherwise:

  • Always include an in-text citation that includes the author(s) last name(s) and the year the source was published at the end of any sentence or below any image that includes words, images, or ideas you found in a source, always included quoted text within quotation marks, and always include a reference for any source at the end of your paper (ask your instructor about the format you should use).
  • All of your graded coursework must be created by you without help from anyone in the course or otherwise. If you have questions about this, you should ask your instructor before submitting work for evaluation.
  • All course materials you receive or access are protected by copyright laws. You may use course materials and make copies for your own use, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and/or liable under Federal and State laws.

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact-form to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at https://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at https://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.

Syllabus Subject to Change

The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due