Ali Bilow, Author at

Independent Historian

Ali Bilow is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington where she studies history, anthropology, and African studies. She is currently a program intern at the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, a non-profit organization in Seattle which presents and produces African-American cultural programs. In the future she hopes to go on to graduate school to study African history.

Mau Mau (1952-1960)

The Mau Mau Uprising, a revolt against colonial rule in Kenya, lasted from 1952 through 1960 and helped to hasten Kenya’s independence. Issues like the expulsion of Kikuyu tenants from settler farms, loss of land to white settlers, poverty, and lack of true political representation … Read MoreMau Mau (1952-1960)

Royal African Company

Chartered in 1672, the Royal African Company was a royally chartered company which had a legally based monopoly on English trade to West Africa until 1698. The monopoly specifically extended through five thousand miles of the western coast from Cape Sallee (in contemporary Morocco) to … Read MoreRoyal African Company

Founding of Sierra Leone, 1787

Sierra Leone’s founding dates back to 1787 when several waves of freed black settlers originating from England, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica all arrived in the area. Utilizing some English government funding, The Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor, an abolitionist group which included … Read MoreFounding of Sierra Leone, 1787

Tirailleurs Senegalais (1857– )

The Tirailleurs Sénégalais were West African Colonial Army troops who fought for the French during World War I, World War II, and in numerous conquest, police, and colonial counterinsurgency operations. Despite the name, the Tirailleurs Sénégalais were composed of soldiers recruited and conscripted from throughout … Read MoreTirailleurs Senegalais (1857– )

Empire of Kanem-Bornu (ca. 9th century-1900)

The Kanem-Bornu Empire was a large African state which existed from the 9th century through the end of the 19th century and which spanned a region which today includes the modern-day countries of Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria. The empire was founded by the Zaghawa … Read MoreEmpire of Kanem-Bornu (ca. 9th century-1900)

Jomo Kenyatta (c. 1894-1978)

Elected in 1963 and named president in 1964, Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya and is still today often referred to as mzee (the Father of the Nation). Kenyatta was born under the name Kamau to Kikuyu parents in the town of Gatundu, … Read MoreJomo Kenyatta (c. 1894-1978)