David Northrup (historian)

David Northrup (born c. 1941) is an American historian specializing in the history of Africa, particularly the Atlantic slave trade, pre-colonial African history, and the African diaspora. He is known for his extensive research and publications that challenge and refine conventional understandings of these topics.

Northrup received his Ph.D. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has held professorships at various universities throughout his career.

Key Contributions and Publications:

Northrup's work is characterized by its meticulous scholarship and its focus on incorporating African perspectives and experiences into historical narratives. He is the author of several influential books, including:

• Trade Without Rulers: Pre-Colonial Economic Development in South-Eastern Nigeria (1978) – This work examines the economic history of southeastern Nigeria before European colonization, demonstrating the existence of complex and sophisticated trading networks.

• Africa's Discovery of Europe, 1450-1850 (2nd ed., 2002) – A groundbreaking study that explores how Africans perceived and interacted with Europeans during the early modern period, challenging Eurocentric views of the encounter.

• The Atlantic Slave Trade (3rd ed., 2011) – A comprehensive overview of the Atlantic slave trade, covering its causes, consequences, and the experiences of both enslaved Africans and those involved in the trade. This book is a standard text in many university courses.

• Globalizing Disease: A Social History (2010) - Northrup examines the history of disease and its globalization from ancient times to the present.

His publications have significantly contributed to a more nuanced and accurate understanding of African history, emphasizing the agency and resilience of African societies in the face of external pressures.