Darrin Vail | American Public University System (APUS) (original) (raw)
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There have been significant changes in the historiography of Africa in the Colonial and Post-Colo... more There have been significant changes in the historiography of Africa in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Periods. The changes stem mainly from the colonialist point of view and moved to a point of view which is more centered upon the experience of the African people. This paper will review the historiographies which were present at the time of colonialism and the subsequent division of the African continent into the Post-Colonial period which saw many African states begin to not only fight for independence, but for scholars to understand the history of the continent with new interpretations. During the beginning of the Colonial period it was colonial historiography which held prominence among historians. This historiography held that Africa had no history and therefore the African people were a people without a history. This historiography was linked to prejudices acquired and disseminated as historical knowledge, with its Eurocentric assumptions such as Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism gave the Europeans a sense of superiority over other peoples, and justified colonialism, plundering of resources, and othering of peoples as a "civilizing mission". 1 When seeking to understand the justifications for colonialism as well as the colonial historians' writings on the continent, it is important to understand the different historiographies and theories. One of the most prominent theories which not only affected colonial historiography, but also was used as a defense of colonialism was the idea of Social Darwinism. The definition of which ranges from Robert Bannister stating Social Darwinism is a bad thing, to a clearer definition of a misunderstanding of Charles Darwin's biological theory moving into social and moral development. Specifically that society evolves from "survival of the fittest" in
Comparison of Tablet XI to Genesis Flood Account
There have been significant changes in the historiography of Africa in the Colonial and Post-Colo... more There have been significant changes in the historiography of Africa in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Periods. The changes stem mainly from the colonialist point of view and moved to a point of view which is more centered upon the experience of the African people. This paper will review the historiographies which were present at the time of colonialism and the subsequent division of the African continent into the Post-Colonial period which saw many African states begin to not only fight for independence, but for scholars to understand the history of the continent with new interpretations. During the beginning of the Colonial period it was colonial historiography which held prominence among historians. This historiography held that Africa had no history and therefore the African people were a people without a history. This historiography was linked to prejudices acquired and disseminated as historical knowledge, with its Eurocentric assumptions such as Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism gave the Europeans a sense of superiority over other peoples, and justified colonialism, plundering of resources, and othering of peoples as a "civilizing mission". 1 When seeking to understand the justifications for colonialism as well as the colonial historians' writings on the continent, it is important to understand the different historiographies and theories. One of the most prominent theories which not only affected colonial historiography, but also was used as a defense of colonialism was the idea of Social Darwinism. The definition of which ranges from Robert Bannister stating Social Darwinism is a bad thing, to a clearer definition of a misunderstanding of Charles Darwin's biological theory moving into social and moral development. Specifically that society evolves from "survival of the fittest" in
Comparison of Tablet XI to Genesis Flood Account