This seminar focuses on three historical frameworks to understand contemporary Angola: 1) the trans-Atlantic slave trade; 2) Portuguese colonialism; and 3) Angolan independence movements. We will consider the demographic, political, and social consequences of the trans-Atlantic slave trade over four centuries. Why did Angola supply more captives than any other African region? What impact did the trade have on local societies? Next, we will consider the imperial narratives of Portuguese colonialism in Angola, including memorial landscapes and mythologies. Our final topic will focus on Angolan nationalism and the independence movements that developed from the 1950s.
Jeremy Ball (PhD University of California, Los Angeles) works on Angolan labor and environmental history, nationalism and commemoration. He is the author of Angola’s Colossal Lie (Brill, 2015) and numerous articles. He teaches at Dickinson College (USA) and is currently on sabbatical and affiliated with the Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna (Italia).