

Andrew Denning, "Automotive Empire: How Cars and Roads Fueled European Colonialism in Africa" (Cornell UP, 2024)
Aug 7, 2024
Dr. Andrew Denning, a scholar specializing in automotive infrastructure and its impact, highlights how cars and roads played a pivotal role in shaping colonial societies in Africa. He discusses the complexities of mobility and control, revealing that while automobiles were seen as solutions to the transport problem, they often exposed the weaknesses of colonial administration. The conversation delves into the labor dynamics of road construction, the interplay between automotive technology and imperialism, and the enduring effects on modern Africa.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Intro
00:00 • 2min
Cars, Colonialism, and Infrastructure
01:33 • 18min
The Automotive Empire: Exploring Freedom and Individualism in Colonial Africa
19:59 • 3min
Wheels of Empire
23:11 • 20min
Colonial Transport Dynamics
43:41 • 10min
The Labor Dynamics of Colonial Road Construction in Africa
53:29 • 2min
Italian Colonialism and Automotive Infrastructure
55:24 • 14min