This source collection provides readers with the historical foundations behind the ten-part documentary series.
GuineaInfo Historical Documentary Collection
A historical research library supporting our documentary series exploring Guinea, West Africa, ancient civilizations, Pan-Africanism, liberation movements and the African diaspora.
The GuineaInfo Historical Documentary Collection is built upon academic research, historical archives, archaeology, oral traditions, cultural memory and documented sources.
African history has always been preserved through many forms of knowledge. Written records, oral historians, museums, archives and modern scholarship all contribute to understanding the continent's past.
The official institution promoting African unity, regional cooperation, peace, sustainable development, and the continuing vision of Pan-Africanism. Its archives and publications provide valuable historical and contemporary resources on continental integration.
Visit African UnionHistorical records documenting African independence movements, decolonisation, United Nations resolutions, and the admission of newly independent African nations into the international community.
Visit United NationsUNESCO preserves and promotes Africa's cultural and natural heritage through World Heritage Sites, documentary archives, educational programmes, and historical research covering the continent's rich civilizations.
Visit UNESCOExplore the history of the African diaspora through collections on migration, the transatlantic slave trade, cultural heritage, genealogy, and the enduring connections between Africa and its descendants around the world.
Visit African Diaspora ArchiveOne of West Africa's leading museums, preserving Ghana's archaeological, ethnographic, historical, and artistic heritage. Its collections provide valuable insight into Ghana's civilizations, independence, and cultural legacy.
Visit Ghana National MuseumDedicated to documenting Africa's independence movements, liberation struggles, key historical figures, and the remarkable journey from colonial rule to self-determination across the continent.
Visit African IndependenceThe GuineaInfo Historical Documentary Collection recognises that African history is preserved through many forms of knowledge.
Written documents remain an important source of historical evidence, but they represent only one part of Africa's rich historical record. Archaeological discoveries, oral traditions, linguistic studies, museum collections, cultural memory, historical maps, and modern academic research all contribute to a more complete understanding of Guinea, West Africa, and the African continent.
Our goal is to present history that is engaging, accessible, and grounded in credible research while honouring the voices, cultures, and traditions that have shaped Africa for thousands of years.
This source collection provides readers with the historical foundations behind the ten-part documentary series.
Africa Must Unite — Kwame Nkrumah
A foundational text outlining Nkrumah's vision of African political unity.
Nkrumah and the Ghana Revolution — Basil Davidson
A detailed study of Nkrumah's political ideas and Ghana's independence movement.
Ahmed Sékou Touré: Speeches and Political Thought
Collection of speeches and writings reflecting Touré's views on independence and African solidarity.
African Union historical materials on Pan-African institutions.
United Nations archives relating to African independence movements.
The Political Kingdom in the Twenty-First Century — Kwame Nkrumah
The History of Ghana — Ivor Wilks
Archival materials relating to:
Ghana–Guinea diplomatic relations
Union of African States documents
Early Organisation of African Unity discussions
The History of West Africa
A History of West Africa
West Africa Before the Colonial Era
Key topics supported:
Ancient kingdoms
Pre-colonial political systems
Regional trade networks
Cultural connections before colonial borders
The Fulani Empire of Sokoto and the Futa Jallon
Research publications on:
Fouta Djallon ecology
West African river systems
Fulani history
Islamic scholarship networks
Important research areas:
Niger River origins
Senegal River origins
Gambia River origins
The Fouta Djallon Imamate
Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali
Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali
The Golden Age of the Moor
Primary historical references:
Ibn Battuta's travel accounts
Al-Umari's writings on Mali
Ibn Khaldun's historical works
Research areas:
Niani traditions
Manding history
Oral traditions of the jeliw (griots)
Amílcar Cabral: Revolutionary Leadership and People's War
Works relating to:
PAIGC history
Portuguese colonialism
African liberation movements
Institutional archives:
United Nations decolonization records
African liberation movement archives
Key subjects:
Guinea-Bissau independence
Amílcar Cabral
Southern African liberation struggles
Timbuktu and the Songhay Empire
The Golden Trade of the Moors
An African History of Africa
Primary themes:
Trans-Saharan trade
Gold and salt exchange
Medieval Islamic scholarship
River trade systems
Ancient Ghana and Mali
The Ghanaian Revolution
Research areas:
Wagadou Empire
Gold Coast independence
Nkrumah's naming of Ghana
African historical identity
Pan-Africanism: A History
The Black Jacobins
The African Origin of Civilization
Important figures researched:
Marcus Garvey
W.E.B. Du Bois
Kwame Nkrumah
Julius Nyerere
Patrice Lumumba
Institutional references:
African Union history
Organisation of African Unity archives
The African Diaspora: A History Through Culture
The Black Atlantic
Research from:
African diaspora studies programmes
UNESCO slavery remembrance projects
Historical migration studies
Key research areas:
Atlantic slave trade
Senegambia region
African naming traditions
Diaspora return movements
Ghana's Year of Return
For readers wishing to explore further:
UNESCO — African heritage, slavery remembrance, cultural preservation
British Library — African manuscripts and historical collections
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — African diaspora history
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture — African diaspora archives
The GuineaInfo Historical Documentary Collection recognises that African history is preserved through many forms of knowledge.
Written records are essential, but they represent only one part of the historical record.
Oral traditions, archaeological evidence, linguistic studies, cultural memory, and academic research all contribute to understanding Africa's past.
The goal of this collection is not only to document history, but to reconnect the stories, peoples, and civilizations that have shaped Guinea and West Africa for centuries.