History

Forms of Control and Punishment Employed by Slave Holders in the Americas and Caribbean

Slavery in the Americas and Caribbean marked a dark chapter in human history, characterized by the brutal subjugation and exploitation of millions of African individuals. Enslaved people endured unimaginable suffering under the control of slaveholders who employed various methods to maintain dominance and maximize profit. This essay delves into the forms of control and punishment

Forms of Control and Punishment Employed by Slave Holders in the Americas and Caribbean Read More »

List of out-of-date facts

Several events often cited as the first in the world, based on popular historical narratives or traditional beliefs, are later than the first occurrences indicated in academic research. This discrepancy often arises due to advancements in archaeology, improved dating techniques, and a more comprehensive understanding of ancient civilizations. Tv producers and writers are sometimes 5-10

List of out-of-date facts Read More »

Understanding North African Skin Tones: Complex Factors Shaping Genetic Diversity and Historical Implications

Current North African skin tones are the result of various factors: geography, sexual selection, melanin production, multiple genes, polygenic inheritance, adaptation, human migrations, genetic continuity, shared ancestry, and genetic overlap. Today, I will explain all these factors. Surprisingly, skin tones don’t depend solely on Y-dna, Mt-dna and autosomal dna genes. Also, the changes in North

Understanding North African Skin Tones: Complex Factors Shaping Genetic Diversity and Historical Implications Read More »

The Ndebele People: their origins, social structure, architecture and beliefs

The Ndebele people: An introduction to various aspects of Ndebele culture, including their origins, political and social organization, clothing and adornments, architecture and arts, initiation practices, courtship and marriage customs, and Ndebele beliefs. The Ndebele people identify as one of the Nguni tribes and make up a significant portion of the country’s Black population. The

The Ndebele People: their origins, social structure, architecture and beliefs Read More »

Why study history?

Learning history offers numerous benefits that can enhance our understanding of the world and ourselves. What are those benefits of studying history? 1. Knowledge of the past: History provides us with an understanding of past events, civilizations, and cultures, enabling us to learn from their successes and failures. 2. Insights into human nature: By studying

Why study history? Read More »

Exploring African Ethical Systems: Common Values Across Diverse Cultures

In a recent experiment aimed at dispelling the misconception of Africa as a monolithic entity, I discovered that justice, morality, and character hold significant importance across various African traditional ethical systems, regardless of one’s religious affiliation. The experiment sought to shed light on the rich tapestry of ethical codes present in Africa. Before colonization, many

Exploring African Ethical Systems: Common Values Across Diverse Cultures Read More »

The Kuba Kingdom

The Kuba kingdom of modern Democratic Republic of Congo was one of 22 literate societies that inhabited Africa during the last 5000 years. The Kuba kingdom existed from 1625 to 1884. The Kingdom of Kuba has evidence of human habitation before 1000 AD, including Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts (source: “Art of the Lega,” by Elisabeth

The Kuba Kingdom Read More »

Enslavement of Europeans

Using any available books or studies already published, I estimated the numerical estimates (with sources) for European people enslaved or used as forced labour during these periods of oppression, conflict or global changes. Between 10.2 million and 14.8 million Europeans have been enslaved or used as forced labour since 300 Bc. I don’t know every

Enslavement of Europeans Read More »

apartheid durban noticeboard at beach

Apartheid

Apartheid is a mind-set that took 300 years to put in place in South Africa, which relied on racist attitudes of successive white-settlers who accumulated power over time. The major social-engineers of apartheid included prime minister Daniel Malan (the 4th prime minister of the Union of South Africa), prime minister Johannes Strijdom, and prime minister

Apartheid Read More »

Terence the African playwright

His works were entertaining and clear. The plots in his plays were absorbing. Monasteries and convents used his works to learn Latin during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. By copying his works, scribes in later generations were taught to write in Latin. 650 manuscripts created after 800 AD contained parts or all of his

Terence the African playwright Read More »

Scientists - Isaac Newton - thinkafrica.net

Scientists who benefitted from the slave trade and uncredited contributions of slaves

In the 1700’s, science in the western world exploded at a frantic space. There were huge advancements in science, and many new technologies were discovered. However, in work published by Sam Kean in Science magazine, we find out that a lot of these advancements were achieved in part due to slaves. We discover that scientists

Scientists who benefitted from the slave trade and uncredited contributions of slaves Read More »