Between the early 1500s and the late 1800s, more than 12 million Africans were trafficked to the Americas through the Atlantic slave trade. This act reoriented the modern world—demographically, economically, politically, and culturally, setting in motion legacies of racial ideologies that continue into the present. Beginning with the slave trade in West Africa, this course traces the construction of Blackness and the archaeological remains connected to Black life in North America, the Caribbean, and South America. Looking at historical and present-day case studies, students will learn how race continues to shape our contemporary worldview—using slave narratives, first-hand accounts, archaeological evidence, and secondary sources to investigate the central themes of African Diaspora archaeology. This course goes from macro to micro to illuminate the legacy of slavery on a more localized scale. Students will also learn how to conduct independent research on specific sites of African diasporic heritage in Ontario and engage in a digital storytelling mapping project using Geographic Information System.
Between the early 1500s and the late 1800s, more than 12 million Africans were trafficked to the Americas through the Atlantic slave trade. This act reoriented the modern world—demographically, economically, politically, and culturally, setting in motion legacies of racial ideologies that continue into the present. Beginning with the slave trade in West Africa, this course traces the construction of Blackness and the archaeological remains connected to Black life in North America, the Caribbean, and South America. Looking at historical and present-day case studies, students will learn how race continues to shape our contemporary worldview—using slave narratives, first-hand accounts, archaeological evidence, and secondary sources to investigate the central themes of African Diaspora archaeology. This course goes from macro to micro to illuminate the legacy of slavery on a more localized scale. Students will also learn how to conduct independent research on specific sites of African diasporic heritage in Ontario and engage in a digital storytelling mapping project using Geographic Information System.
