Colonialism and Independence

In this course we will study the exploitation of the Global South by European powers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Our focus will be on the French and British Empires and their theft of natural resources and human labor in Africa and Asia. We will examine the economic forces that made "the scramble for Africa" so appealing to Europeans in the 1800s, and then study the level of human and environmental devastation they created in the process. In the second half of the course we will study the anti-colonial independence movements of the mid-20th century.

Our main focus will be on India and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with additional case studies of Ghana, Algeria, Kenya, and other countries.

As we study the history of this period, we will also evaluate the way colonialism has been depicted in Western media. Through the 1950s, colonialism was often portrayed as a humanitarian act: part of the "white man's burden" to bring "civilization" to "primitive" lands. We will examine the racist tropes behind those messages and discuss the way anti-colonial movements successfully pushed back against them. We will also look at the way civil rights organizers in the U.S. impacted, and were impacted by, global liberation movements in India, South Africa, East Asia, and the Caribbean.

Pre- or corequisite: The Enlightenment Revolutions, or by permission.

Instructor: Laura Fokkena

DETAILS:

Suggested age range: 13+

Outside work: Videos and short readings, approximately 2-3 hours/week.

When & where: Fridays on Zoom from 11:00-12:00, Apr. 11 - June 27, 2025.

Fee: $250 ungraded/$300 graded, which includes a non-refundable registration fee of $10. We offer discounts for groups, siblings, and students who enroll in multiple classes. (Discount information.) Payment plans available. Fees waived for families with financial need.  (Waivers and payment plan information.) Questions about how classes work? Read our course FAQ.

Photo credit: “The East offering its riches to Brittania,” painted by Spiridione Roma for the boardroom of the British East India Company. Wikipedia, CCO.