Caelen Anacker, Author at

Independent Historian

Caelen Anacker was born in 1988 in Bozeman, Montana. He is a graduate of Bozeman High School and has attended Seattle University, University of Washington, and intends to graduate from Montana State University. Caelen is currently studying History and would like to focus his future work on the history of science, specifically 20th century physics, but is also interested in modern European and African history.

25th Infantry Bicycle Corps (1896-97)

The 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps was a unit of black soldiers commanded by a white officer, Lt. James A. Moss, which was formed in 1896 to test the combat viability of bicycle-mounted troops by riding from Missoula, Montana to Saint Louis, Missouri. Moss, a West Point graduate and … Read More25th Infantry Bicycle Corps (1896-97)

Dennis Brutus (1924-2009)

Dennis Brutus was a South African poet, organizer, and activist perhaps most notable for his use of sports as a weapon against apartheid. Dennis Vincent Brutus was born to South African parents of French, Italian and African descent in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in … Read MoreDennis Brutus (1924-2009)

Alex Haley (1921-1992)

Pulitzer-prize-winning author Alex Haley was best known for his historical work, including the widely acclaimed Roots. Alexander Palmer Haley was born in Ithaca, New York, on August 11, 1921. He soon moved with his mother to Henning, Tennessee, while his father finished his degree at … Read MoreAlex Haley (1921-1992)

Khartoum, Sudan (1821- )

Khartoum, the capital of the modern state of Sudan, is located in an area of rich farmland where the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet. Khartoum initially grew because of the Turko-Egyptian conquest of Sudan in 1821. Mohammed Ali Pasha (1769-1849), nominally an Ottoman … Read MoreKhartoum, Sudan (1821- )

Lagos, Nigeria (ca. 1350- )

Lagos is the largest city and chief port of modern Nigeria. The area that is now Lagos was settled by Yoruba people during the fourteenth century. The founders created a coastal village they called Eko. In the 1760s, Portuguese traders settled there and began using … Read MoreLagos, Nigeria (ca. 1350- )

Johannesburg, South Africa (1886- )

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. Before the 1837 arrival of the Transvaal Boers, descendants of Dutch settlers, the area that is now Johannesburg was occupied by the Sotho-Tswana peoples. In early 1886, gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand ridge. By 1889, Johannesburg … Read MoreJohannesburg, South Africa (1886- )

Cape Town, South Africa (1652- )

Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa and one of the nation’s cultural and economic centers. Before the arrival of Europeans, the area was inhabited by San and Khoikhoi peoples. In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a small colony on the Cape … Read MoreCape Town, South Africa (1652- )

Accra, Ghana (ca. 1500- )

Accra is the political and economic capital of modern Ghana on the Gold Coast. Between 1500 and 1578, a fortress operated by the Portuguese stood at the site of modern Accra. This fort provided the Europeans with an outlet for trade, particularly in slaves, with … Read MoreAccra, Ghana (ca. 1500- )

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (1903- )

Abidjan is the former capital of Côte d’Ivoire as well as the country’s principal city. The lagoon on which the city now sits was occupied by the Ebrié people long before the French selected the site of Abidjan in 1903. Intended as the terminus for … Read MoreAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (1903- )

Dakar, Senegal (1857- )

Dakar was the political center of French West Africa and is the capital of modern Senegal. Located on Cape Verde, the westernmost point of the African mainland, Ndaxaru, known by its French name, Dakar, has been occupied at least since Europeans began to explore the … Read MoreDakar, Senegal (1857- )