Cultures of the Americas, Africa, and Europe

1. Cultures of the Americas, Africa, and Europe Part 2: Africa

2. West Africa • Geography • Mediterranean Sea • Atlantic Ocean • Sahara Desert • Savannah • Tropical Rain Forest • Niger River

3. West Africa • Trans-Saharan Trade • Initially traded on the outskirts of the Sahara • Intro of camels =trans-Saharan trade • Carry more weight • Extensive lengths of time w/o water • Handle extreme desert temperatures • Made goods more accessible • Gold, ivory, ostrich feathers, furs • As demand increased, so did settlements along the Sahara • Increase trade=increased interactions=exchange of ideas

4. West Africa • Islam • Introduced as trade with Arab nations increase • Followers called Muslims • Popularity spread as a result of conflict and promoting religious unity • Prosperity linked to the prosperity of gold • High demand after the Muslim conquest of northern Africa (used as currency) • Trade increase as European contact became more prevalent in the late 1200’s with the shift form silver and copper coins to gold • By 1300’s, 2/3’s of the gold in Europe and North Africa came from West Africa

5. Empires of West Africa • Between 400 and 1500 3 great empires rose and fell in West Africa • Growth and prosperity linked to trade • Gold • Salt • Position in savannah allowed them to control trans-Saharan trade, which meant they were able to build wealthy and vast empires • Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

7. Empires of West Africa • Ghana • Emerges around 400 AD • Controlled trade and built the region’s first empire • Gained wealth by taxing gold and salt after the conquest of North Africa by Muslims • Good relationship w/ Muslims who built mosques in their major cities • Most people were farmers and herders who did not profit from trade • Collapsed by the early 1200’s • War, over planting, new gold mines whose trade routes bypassed Ghana

8. Empires of West Africa • Mali • Location enabled them to control trade to new mines • Wealth = conquest of Ghana and build large empire • Government • Ruler = Mansa – lived in capital city • Town rulers collected taxes in the form of crops that were sent to the Mansa • Used force to ensure power structure • Religion • Muslim • Many farmers adhered to traditional religions b/c they felt it promoted agricultural prosperity

9. Empires of West Africa • Mali (continued) • Peaked in the 1300’s under the leadership of Mansa Musa and his brother • Newly found gold mines allowed for the empire to expand • Built city of Timbuktu • Cultural, political, and economic center

10. Empires of West Africa • Songhai • Lived along Niger River Valley • Fishing • Built canoes • Controlled trade along river • Sonni Ali – leader • As Mali declined, seized Timbuktu in 1468 • Began a series of conquests – salt and gold mines • Askiya Muhammad – • Took power from Sonni Ali’s son • Best known for his revival of Timbuktu • Centralized power in capital city of Goa • Remained powerful until defeated by Morocco in 1591

11. Forest Kingdoms of Guinea • West African coast in dense forests • Mixture of hunters, farmers, and traders • Small village communities • Rich soil = surplus foods • Supported rulers, artists, government officials, and artisans • Traded for precious metals and salt • Benin = largest city

12. Forest Kingdoms of Guinea • Benin • Developed around 1400 • Large walled cities • Ruler = Oba • Expanded military and began the conquest of neighboring areas • Appointed district chiefs to replace local rulers • Began trading those captured in war as slaves the Portuguese for goods they later sold (ivory, pepper, gum, and cotton) • Collapsed around 1700 due to civil war • Many were then captured by Portuguese as slaves

13. Central and Southern Africa • Rain forests made movement of goods and people difficult • Villages established near rivers • Fishing, planting wheat, raising livestock • Others practiced a nomadic lifestyle • Social Roles: • Close and complex family structure • Matrilineal societies – trace heritage through mother • Women – home, children, trade, farming • Men – hunting, fishing, raise livestock • Tribal chief was male – (job inherited by the son the the chief’s oldest sister

14. Central and Southern Africa • Congo • Developed around 1400 near the Zaire River • Food Surpluses • Abundant rain, fertile soil • Quickly expanded and became a large empire

16. Slavery • Common in Africa • Never based on race (until intro of the slave trade) • War • Debt • Crime • Not permanent • Bought back • Assimilated into the culture • Opportunities to improve status • Sale produce to purchase freedom • Marry into capture’s society

17. Slavery • How and Why did slavery change? • Muslim traders • Permitted slavery of non-Muslims • Traded captured warriors for goods • Gold Trade • Mining • Mali provided slaves to Portuguese in exchange for gold • Sugar Plantations • Europe was introduced to sugar by Muslims in the 1100’s • Causing and increased demand = need for more workers • Established sugar plantations on Mediterranean islands • Work was labor intensive and expensive = encouraged use of slaves • Rising demand led to further plantation development off the coast of West Africa