ABSTRACT
For many scholars, Africa is defined as comprising only the African continent that lies south of the Sahara. Aside from being arbitrary, this particular definition obscures several important aspects of African history, including trans-Saharan politics and trade. For the purposes of this chapter, we will use a geographic definition of Africa—which will include the states of the northern shore of the continent. United States policy toward Africa, both historically and presently, has been framed by three dominant concerns: ideals, economics and strategic considerations. This chapter uses a combination of history and theory to construct a picture of America’s African relations.
