POLL: Pick the Next Extra History Series! "History of the African Continent up to 1920" (Patreon)

It's time for the Extra History poll! Where you get to vote on what our next extra History Series is about. Our four Patreon suggested topics are listed below.

Kingdom of Dahomey: Amazons and Atlantic Trade

In the 18th and 19th centuries, European slave traders became fascinated by a coastal African kingdom in what is now Benin, largely because of its corpse of female soldiers they dubbed the "Dahomey Amazons." But the explosive Kingdom of Dahomey was notable for far more than a place of woman warriors. Dahomey was a powerful state with efficient central administration and taxation systems, and its kings patronized artistic works different from any others in Africa. But Dahomey's magnificence had a dark side as well. Much of Dahomey's wealth came from capturing rival populations in war and selling them to European slave-traders, and its unique form of West African Vodun involved human sacrifice. Overthrown by France in the Scramble for Africa, the memory of Dahomey would still go on to inspire numerous works of art, theatre, and fiction among African-Americans.

Founding of Liberia: American-Africans

After centuries of bondage and brutalization, was it possible for emancipated slaves—or even free-born black Americans—to find prosperity, equality and safety in the United States? For many abolitionists and even slaveowners, the answer was no. Thus began the work of the American Colonization Society, which between 1822 and 1861 resettled 15,000 black Americans and over 3,000 Afro-Caribbean people in a small slice of the West African coast. Backed by US interests, the new Americo-Liberian colonizers formed a US-style government, declared independence, elected a president, and founded a capital city (Monrovia) named after their chief supporter, President James Monroe. But this—the first modern republic in Africa—was still a colonial project. Relations with the indigenous Kru and Grebo population were poor, and the settlers quickly organized themselves into an elite that marginalized, oppressed and converted the tribes, even as they successfully battled colonization in the Scramble for Africa.

Ethiopian Empire: House of Solomon

In 1270, the great Emperor Yekuno Amlak seized the throne and started a dynasty that would last another seven hundred years. Claiming direct descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Amlak and his successors would take up the banner of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church—which had existed in some form since the time of the New Testament—and take their place as a Christian kingdom among the Muslim-dominated coast of East Africa. Over its centuries of history, it would try to secure its independence by launching crusades, fending off invasions, and battling (in a non-exhaustive list) the Egyptians, multiple local sultanates, the Ottomans, and the British. But it was their 1896 victory against Italian colonial expansion that would secure their lasting independence, and lead to the reign of Haile Selassie. This is a sweeping whistle-stop tour of one of Africa's most enduring, and incredible, states.

Ranavalona I: The "Mad Queen" of Madagascar

When Queen Ranavalona's son Radama II took the throne, and announced his conversion to Christianity, a rash of spirit possession gripped the island of Madagascar. It was said to be the dead queen's ghost, furious at her son's affront to the ancestors—and maybe it was. Throughout her reign, the woman sometimes referred to as "Ranavalona the Cruel" defended her realm against foreign influence through a campaign of violence that made Vlad III seem reasonable. From throwing Christian missionaries off cliffs, to lining the coast with heads on spikes, to extensive trials by poison, she was known as one of the most terrifying (but effective) rulers on the African continent. However, while Ranavalona's legacy can never be fully rehabilitated—you can only go so far with someone who used "progressive amputation" as a punishment—historians now look at her in the context of African resistance to colonialism and the defense of traditional culture. She did, after all, rule Madagascar for 33 years, preserve its independence despite western pressure, and die safe in her bed at the age of 80. A legacy so incredible that, despite her negative image, subsequent Christian queens of Madagascar would call themselves Ranavalona in hopes of replicating her strength and success against imperialism.

Cast your vote(s) below and let us know what series you would like us to air on Extra History! 

Current Schedule: History of Beer --> Tulip Mania: Non-Fungible Tulips --> Your Vote!

***Friendly reminder: The poll will end at 11:59 PM PT on Tuesday, March 1st. You can vote for as many choices as you want! This style of voting helps us see what people are most interested in without having to make tough decisions between a couple of close favorites. ***