African History

Research papers on African history begin by discussing the many divisions in Africa along historical time frames. You may want to present your term paper or research paper chronologically or ethnographically, which ever fits your topic best. Paper Masters helps students organize their projects by providing custom written academic writing on African history.

The history of Africa is one of the longest and most complex chapters in human civilization. The hominid species first emerged in Africa, and these primitive apes began using tools about 2.3 million years ago. About 40,000 years ago, Homo sapiens began emerging out of Africa and migrated all over the Earth.

The kingdoms of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt began emerging in the Nile Valley around 3500 BCE. Egyptian history is divided into:

• The Old Kingdom
• Middle Kingdom
• New Kingdoms

This division lasted until Cleopatra's reign was ended by the Romans. Urbanization increased across North Africa under the Romans. By the late Roman Empire, Augustine, Bishop of Hippo was able to expand the intellectual reach of Christianity.

Early African History

The Aksumite Empire encompassed modern-day Ethiopia between 500 BCE and 800 CE, establishing trade with the Romans and China. In West Africa, the Bantu people began migrating into the central regions, establishing the Kanem Empire in the 9th century.

The rise of European exploration in the early modern period brought much of the continent under foreign colonial power, and an extensive network of European slave trading took many Africans to the New World. Colonialism did not loosen its grip on Africa until the mid 20th century, and the negative effects of this subjugation still plague many African nations.