African Trading EmpiresThe Kingdoms of

Ghana, Mali, and the Songhai

Do Now:

What impact can trade have on a society?

What goods would you want to trade? Why?

This is a 14th century

Italian map of NW Africa

Based on the map, how do

you think Europeans viewed the continent of Africa and its people

and resources?

Primary Source Reading

Read the primary source on the city of Timbuktu and

answer the two questions at the

bottom.

West African Trading Kingdoms

Western Africa was a land of riches, yet today it contains some of the poorest areas in the world.

You will investigate the role trade plays in advancing societies and…

The reasons for the rise of power and wealth in this region and the reasons for the decline of the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

Essential Question:

Is global trade a necessary foundation for cultural advancement?

Inquiry Question:

Was trade a necessary foundation for the growth of the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?

African Geography

In order to understand trade, we need to look at the geography of a location:

Natural Geographic Features:

Rivers, lakes, seas, deserts

Natural Resources:

What resources do they have?

What resources do they need/want?

Surrounding Cultures:

Desired goods?

Diffusion of ideas and beliefs

A Note on Slave Trade

Slavery and the slave trade has existed for many years in many forms

Examples?

Different types of slavery:

Chattel Slavery – slaves are considered property and can be traded as such

Debt Bondage: an individual is compelled to work in order to repay a debt

Forced Labor: individuals are forced to work based on the threat of violence against the laborer, contracted for a period of time and then unable to escape servitude

Cultural Achievements

Let’s look at our questions again:

Is global trade a necessary foundation for cultural advancement?

Was trade a necessary foundation for the growth of the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?

What about non-material aspects of cultural advancement? What impact can these have on the advancement of a society?