Africa

Kevin Shillington looks at the impact on Africa of the slave trade, and its abolition 200 years ago this month.

This West African state was a focus of the slave trade for centuries, and the first African colony to win independence, exactly fifty years ago. Graham Gendall Norton finds lots of history to explore.

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones tells the remarkable story of the boys from Madagascar who were sent to England to be educated in the 1820s as part of an agreement with the British to develop the country and end Madagascan dependency on the exportation of slaves.    

David Anderson, Huw Bennett and Daniel Branch believe that the Freedom of Information Act is being used to protect the perpetrators of a war crime that took place in Kenya fifty years ago.

Historical travel, alone or in organized tours, is burgeoning and fun. Our new series suggests some places for the past-minded traveller to think about. Graham Gendall Norton introduces an accessible but exotic land which has long been a cultural crossroads.

David Livingstone reached the Victoria Falls on November 17th, 1855.

Roland Quinault examines the career, speeches and writings of Churchill for evidence as to whether or not he was racist and patronizing to black peoples.

On November 1st, 1954, an insurrection broke out in Algeria.

The first-ever parliament of the Sudan was opened by the British governor-general, Sir Robert Howe, on January 1st, 1954.