Before the Zimbabwean guerilla war, Mau Mau was the only armed liberation struggle in British colonial Africa. Mau Mau jolted the public consciousness of diverse communities in Britain, Kenya, the United States, and colonized people in the Third World.
Debates regarding the causes, course, and interpretations of the movement continue.
This seminar will analyze the social, economic, and political origins of Mau Mau. We shall focus on agrarian, urban, and gender dimensions of the struggle. We will also discuss the social composition of the freedom fighters, the nature of the revolt, and the various interpretations of the guerilla war. This will include an analysis of the portrayal of the movement in the American press in the 1950s. Two short papers will be required.