The 2001 launch of the fifth volume of the James Stuart Archive reinforces this publication's
reputation as a mother lode of primary evidence. The Archive's existence is largely due to …

During the 1960s, academics employed at Nigerian universities were entitled to fly to
London for scholarly refreshment every year. Most used the vacation for holiday pleasures …

After reflecting on the mixed reception accorded to his book, The Great Treks, the author
points to the many obstacles that stand in the way of dismantling the customary perspective …

In 1961, Jan Vansina elaborated a methodology by which African oral traditions could be
gathered, transcribed, and compared to produce raw material for the construction of a new …

Serendipity and surprise occasionally contribute to the work of the historian. A chance
discovery of crucial documents, a word from an informant, or a brief text helping to resolve a …

In the six years from October 1897 to October 1903, Ndukwana kaMbengwana engaged in
scores of conversations in numerous different locations with magistrate James Stuart about …

When I first met Chris Azaare, he introduced himself as a retired school teacher who was still
teaching part time in two local schools and serving on the Parent-Teacher Association. It …

Historians of Africa who have concentrated on the search for oral informants may have
underestimated the potential richness of early African written sources. Certainly in Buganda …

Stories about origins, whether of an ethnic group, a ruling dynasty, or social relations,
present some of the most perplexing problems for historical interpretation. Yet they, too, can …

In 1992, in a dramatic address to the American Association of African Studies, the
pioneering figure in the study of African oral traditions, Jan Vansina, identified what he …