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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST
FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
HIS.101
GHANA UP TO 1800
FIRST SEMESTER, 2011 - 2012 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE OUTLINE
This course examines the evolution of the various ethnic groups that make up
Ghana from the earliest times up to 1800. It will briefly examine the pre-history of
Ghana. It will also trace the immigration and settlement of the various peoples, discuss
their economic, social and political institutions, and examine the relations between the
various peoples. In addition, the factors that motivated European explorations of the West
African coast and the consequences of the contact with Europe on Ghana will be
assessed. Finally, the course will examine the introduction of the Trans-Atlantic Slave
Trade and its impact on Ghanaians.
Course Objectives: The objectives of the course include the following:
a. At the end of the course, students should be able to use the knowledge acquired from reading the course to examine the Eurocentric view that pre-colonial Africa
did not have history and civilisations;
b. Students should be able to form their own points of view about the past; c. In a broader context, students should be able to relate the past of Ghana to its
present and, possibly, form a perspective of the future; and
d. Students should be able to examine the significance of the past of Ghana to its present.
The course will focus on the following topics:
1. The Name Ghana. 2. Documents for the Study of Ghanaian History. 3. Pre-history of Ghana. 4. The Origins and Rise of the Peoples and States of Ghana. 5. Comparisons of the Forest and Savannah Zones, and Ghana East and West of the
Volta.
6. History of Visual Art. 7. History of Early Ghanaian Economies. 8. History of Indigenous Medical Practices. 9. The Coming of...