South African history did not begin when Jan van Riebeeck set up a refreshment station on the Cape of Good Hope in 1652; Africans had been living in the area for centuries. However, that historical moment marked the beginning of over 350 years of European settlement, expropriation, and conquest. This seminar will examine the long sweep of South African history, paying particular attention to the interactions between and among African peoples and societies; Dutch settlers and British colonialists. We will consider the roots of racial segregation, the formalization of apartheid in 1948, and African resistance to, and ultimate victory over, the racist regime. We will conclude by discussing South Africa today, and what extent the promise of freedom and the vanquishing of apartheid's legacy has been realized.
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