Rafael Angulo
DARE Project: Representations of life stories about Nigeria through the lenses of the CMS Missionaries in the XIX century
Program(s) of Study: History
Project Supervisor: Paul E. Lovejoy
Because this project will contribute to databases such as “Freedom Narratives” (www.freedomnaratives.org) it will aid other historians and the general public to view these otherwise obscure images. This will hopefully help people gain a better understanding of pre-colonial Africa and the complicated history of Christianity in this part of the continent.
Project Description:
The project entailed an examination of illustrations of West African people and places in documents of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Hundreds of engravings present in primary sources such as the CMS Pictorial Album, the monthly Church Missionary Gleaner or The Intelligencer were inspected and organized. This consisted of classifying data by place, time, associated events, and people which could contribute to the reconstruction of individual life stories of the CMS. An especial focus has been placed on the experiences and life stories of Africans and African missionaries depicted in the illustrations. These documents were then classified in an inventory detailing the document type being archived, its title, code, source, place, and period. Supplementary research was then conducted on sources to find additional information on the life stories of the individuals in them. All of this information has been archived so that it may aid other projects focused on West Africa, the Church Missionary Society and the Transatlantic slave trade.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.