History Masterclass: Humans & powerful states of Africa from the Atlantic period

Booking Deadline:

16 March 2026

In this masterclass with members of the History department, students from Years 12 and 13 will uncover the legacies of important characters and states in Africa that usually remain hidden in common narratives of the Atlantic period (1500 to 1900).

 During the masterclass, you will explore key questions such as:

• How did the people in African communities secure freedom during the period of the Atlantic slave trade?
• How were strong African states like the Kingdom of Kongo and the Lunda Empire organised with autonomy despite the expansion of European colonialism?
• In which ways do the legacies of African societies shape present-day global politics?

On Campus Masterclasses are subject based and are three hours long.

They consist of a topic-based lecture and interactive activity, led by a SOAS academic.

There is also a campus tour and a workshop on higher education led by student ambassadors.

Event timing: 10:00am - 1:00pm

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