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Primary Sources in African History Against the Grain Manuscript 8359 Collecting to the Core — Primary Sources in African History Araba Dawson-Andoh Anne Doherty Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/atg Part of the Library and Information Science Commons This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Collecting to the Core — Primary Sources in African History by Araba Dawson-Andoh (Subject Librarian for African Studies and the Social Sciences, Ohio University Libraries; African History, Languages, and Literatures Subject Editor, Resources for College Libraries) <[email protected]> Column Editor: Anne Doherty (Resources for College Libraries Project Editor, CHOICE/ACRL) <[email protected]> Column Editor’s Note: The “Collecting essay discusses six notable texts on historical sources.6 A Choice Outstanding Academic to the Core” column highlights monographic sources appropriate for studying the African Title, it is a selection of revised papers from the works that are essential to the academic li- past. The works, many authored by pioneers “Pathways to Africa’s Past” conference held brary within a particular discipline, inspired of African history, provide an understanding of at the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. by the Resources for College Libraries bib- the sources and methods used to interpret and Contributions are from notable Africanist histo- liography (online at http://www.rclweb.net). reconstruct Africa’s history. Also discussed are rians including Paul Lovejoy, Thomas Spear, In each essay, subject specialists introduce selected digital repositories and databases con- David Henige, Dennis Cordell, and and explain the classic titles and topics that taining primary sources related to Africa. Akinwumi Ogundiran. It provides continue to remain relevant to the undergrad- Daniel McCall’s pioneering an overview of current sources and uate curriculum and library collection. Dis- work Africa in Time-Perspective: methods used to understand African ciplinary trends may shift, but some classics A Discussion of Historical Recon- history. Essays are grouped into never go out of style. — AD struction from Unwritten Sources five sections: the contributions of was the first to explore the validity archaeological research to history; history of Africans in the diaspo- he Students and Faculty in the Archives of unwritten sources in writing Af- rican history.3 Based on a lecture ra; new approaches to historical (SAFA) project by the Brooklyn Histor- evidence; innovative methods of ical Society reported that undergraduate series at the University of Ghana, T Legon in 1961, McCall explores examining oral sources; and inno- students became more engaged and interested various written sources available vative sources and methods applied in coursework, with improved academic skills to historical study including nutrition studies, and course outcomes, when archives-based and their limitations for an authentic history of Africa. He presents reasoned arguments electricity networks, youth culture, and surveys primary source research is integrated into the for social histories. curriculum.1 Primary sources are evidence for an interdisciplinary approach to obtaining created at the time of an event or after by historical evidence by recognizing data from Writing African History, edited by John participants or observers. Examples include archaeology, oral traditions, linguistics, eth- Edward Philips, expands Daniel McCall’s text — memoirs, letters, and manuscripts; nology, plant and animal development, and earlier arguments focusing on the types of images — photographs and posters; audio art. He advises researchers to complement sources and methodologies available to histo- or video recordings — oral histories and documentary sources with data from unwritten rians of Africa.7 An introduction by McCall speeches; artifacts — furniture, pottery, and sources. McCall’s text is still considered an is followed by Philips’s chapter addressing cultural objects. These are the raw materials important contribution and essential for intro- the question “What is African history?” His historians use to meaningfully reconstruct ductory courses in African history. concluding chapter “Writing African history” the past. Often used by graduate students Another introductory work on the distinc- provides practical advice on historical practice, and faculty researchers, increasingly they are tive features of the sources of African history including how to organize and frame research being integrated into undergraduate teaching is Africa Discovers Her Past, edited by J. D. questions; collect, evaluate, and interpret data; and research. Undergraduate history course Fage.4 Originating from a 1967 BBC Africa and write about historical research. Contribu- outcomes frequently stress historical thinking, Service series on the current state of African tors, all experts in their respective areas, focus making primary source literacy an important history, it examines both written and unwritten on archaeology, physical anthropology, lin- component. Typically housed in archives, li- sources. The collection of twelve short essays guistics, oral traditions, oral history, botanical braries, museums, or obscure locations, digital by distinguished Africanist historians presents data, and various Arabic and European sources. technologies have enabled the digitization of the state of African historiographical traditions Like Falola and Jennings, they discuss both collections and made primary resources more and sources. John Hunwick, Thurstan Shaw, the possibilities and challenges of the sources. accessible and easier to include in teaching. Alan Ryder, P. L. Shinnie, and Ivor Wilks An example is the chapter by John Hunwick Until the 19th and early 20th centuries, discuss the various methods of research and discussing not only the value of Arabic sources many African societies did not have writing the contributions of other disciplines to African to West African history, but their linguistic systems and therefore written sources, contrib- history. Also examined are the limitations challenges and access difficulties. An appen- uting to a prevailing belief that Africa had no and advantages of unwritten sources like oral dix lists the contents of Arabic collections in civilization or history. Even by 1965, notable traditions and European and Arabic primary Nigeria, Khartoum, Zanzibar, and Timbuktu. Oxford University history professor Hugh written sources. Other chapters discuss re- The work is an excellent introduction to Afri- Trevor-Roper expressed skepticism on the gional historiography by notable experts from can history for people new to the field such as existence of African history.2 World events and West Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, East undergraduate students. decolonization in Africa in the late 1950s and Africa, and Southern Africa. Kenya’s Past: An Many African societies value knowledge early 1960s heightened interest in the study of Introduction to Historical Method in Africa and information about the past passed on from Africa. As a result, African history became an by Thomas Spear is an introductory work generation to generation through storytelling established academic discipline and Africanist often used as an undergraduate African history and ceremonial oral traditions. Issues with scholars challenged Eurocentric views of Afri- textbook.5 The author provides an overview transmission and reliability might impact ca. They questioned traditional methods of his- of the sources of African history using Kenya authenticity, however, oral traditions are still torical inquiry, adopting innovative approaches as a case study. The examined sources include important sources of historical data for African to sources by recognizing non-written sources archaeological, linguistic, and oral traditions, history. Jan Vansina is highly regarded as from archaeology, linguistics, physical and along with documentary sources. the pioneer of using oral tradition as historical cultural anthropology, botany, and art history Toyin Falola and Christian Jennings’s evidence. His seminal work, Oral Tradition: as legitimate evidence. These methods and edited work Sources and Methods in African A Study in Historical Methodology, serves as sources have now been utilized successfully to History: Spoken, Written, Unearthed explores a guide book on oral tradition as a historical reconstruct the African past to antiquity. This the challenges of both unwritten and written continued on page 28 26 Against the Grain / April 2019 <http://www.against-the-grain.com> contains important files of the British foreign reliability. Though some of these texts are Collecting to the Core office and its colonial administrations in Africa dated, they remain foundational and should be from page 26 spanning the period 1820-1970. It is a valuable in the core collection of any academic library resource to scholars and students researching supporting programs in African history. Online source.8 Originally published in French in the political, social, and economic history archival repositories and databases provide 1961, it discusses how to use oral tradition to of colonial Africa based on the British gov- access to both written and unwritten primary obtain historical data, defines and categorizes ernment’s sources. Files include diplomatic sources and offer broad insights into African oral evidence as a
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