„If she no Learn, she no Get husband“:: Christianity, Domesticity and Education at the Church Missionary Society‘s Female Institution in Freetown, 1849 – 1880

„If she no Learn, she no Get husband.“ Christentum, Häuslichkeit und erziehung an der Female Institution der Church missionary society in Freetown, 1849 – 1880 Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts erkannten die in Sierra Leone tätigen Missionsgesellschaften die Notwendigkeit von Sekundärerziehung für Mädchen. Trotz des Konsenses darüber gab es sowohl unter den neuen Lehrerinnen als auch unter den Eltern der Mädchen große Meinungsunterschiede. Diese bezogen sich zum Teil auf räumliche Aspekte – Standort der Schule, Organisation von Mahlzeiten –, aber auch auf die „vollständige moralische Transformation“, die man durch Sekundärerziehung erreichen wollte. Der Aufsatz befasst sich auch mit dem neuen sozialen Raum, der die Missionierung für europäische sowie afrikanische Frauen schuf

Sources and methods for African history and culture: essays in honour of Adam Jones

The conversation with sources is at the heart of the historical profession. Men and women of past times have left messages and traces in a variety of forms – orally transmitted, written, material, visual etc. Men and women of today try to interpret these sources in an attempt to understand human action in its historical context. What may, at first sight, seem like a straightforward dialogue between source and historian, hardly ever is. Neither the messages and traces, nor the historical interpretation, nor the availability and accessibility of the source itself turn out to be self-evident. This volume provides practical examples of and methodological reflections on working with sources for African history and culture. It includes cases from across the continent, from pre-colonial times to the present, from history and other disciplines drawing on the conversation with sources, and it includes transregional relations, conceptual reflections and attention for politics of history. The organization of the volume reflects the research interests of Adam Jones and underscores that his academic trajectory provides a relevant backdrop for a volume about the use of sources and methods for African history and culture

Afro-European trade relations on the western slave coast, 16th to 19th centuries

This thesis deals with the Afro-European trade on the Western Slave Coast from about 1600 to the 1880s, mainly the slave trade but also the trade in ivory and agricultural produce. The Western Slave Coast comprises the coastal areas of modem Togo and parts of the coastal areas of Ghana and Benin. For much of the period under discussion, this region was dominated by two kingdoms, the kingdom of the Hula (or Pla), known to European traders as Great or Grand Popo, after its coastal port (in modern Benin), and the kingdom of the Ge (Gen/Guin/Genyi), known to European traders as Little Popo, after its main coastal port (in modern Togo). In the nineteenth century, two more ports of trade appeared in the region, Agoud (in modem Benin) and Porto Seguro (in modern Togo). In terms of the Afro-European trade, this was an intermediate area between regions of greater importance to slave traders, the Gold Coast to the west and the eastern Slave Coast (mainly the kingdom of Dahomey) to the east. This thesis gives a detailed reconstruction of the political and commercial developments in the region, especially for the period from the 1780s and the 1860s. The discussion is based mainly on archival material from British, French and African archives, but also makes use of a wide range of published accounts, mainly in English, French and German, and information from oral traditions. Beyond its immediate local interest, the thesis contributes to our understanding of the operation of the Afro-European trade and its impact on African middleman societies. The intermittent commercial success of 'the Popos' illustrates the dynamics of the trade especially clearly. The Western Slave Coast is placed into the wider transatlantic trade network and its role in the trade re-evaluated. The link between the local and overseas economy is illustrated by the centrality of the lagoon, which is discussed in detail. Other important issues that are addressed include the role of the canoemen in the trade, the transition from the slave trade to the palm oil trade and the Afro-Brazilian settlement at Agoue

Africa / edited by Silke Strickrodt

Includes bibliographical reference