Decolonizing with data: The cliometric turn in African economic history
Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP02/2019Publication date: March 2019
Author(s):
[protected email address] (LEAP, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University)
Our understanding of Africa's economic past -- the causes and consequences of precolonial polities, the slave trade, state formation, the Scramble for Africa, European settlement, and independence -- has improved markedly over the last two decades. Much of this is the result of the cliometric turn in African economic history, what some have called a `renaissance'. Whilst acknowledging that cliometrics is not new to African history, this chapter examines the major recent contributions, noting their methodological advances and dividing them into four broad themes: persistence of deep traits, slavery, colonialism and independence. We conclude with a brief bibliometric exercise, noting the lack of Africans working at the frontier of African cliometrics.
JEL Classification:N01, N37, O10
Keywords:Africa, history, poverty, reversal of fortunes, sub-Saharan, trade, slavery, colonialism, missionaries, independence
Download: PDF (658 KB)Login
(for staff & registered students)
BER Weekly
26 Jul 2024Following a string of busy weeks, it was relatively quiet on the local front. Datawise, the most notable release was the consumer price inflation (CPI) print for June. The biggest global data release of the week also came from the US, with GDP coming out much stronger than expected in Q2. It was a(nother) wild week in US politics, with President Joe...
Read the full issue
BER Weekly
26 Jul 2024Following a string of busy weeks, it was relatively quiet on the local front. Datawise, the most notable release was the consumer price inflation (CPI) print for June. The biggest global data release of the week also came from the US, with GDP coming out much stronger than expected in Q2. It was a(nother) wild week in US politics, with President Joe...
Read the full issue