Early Kingdoms

Nile

Kush

Axum

Ghana

Mali

Songhai

Nile

• Settled around the Nile river – fertile soil

• Egyptian Empire developed from here and expanded their power.

• Trade, conquest brought cultural diffusions and advancements

• Polytheistic, belief in the afterlife, pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics

The Story of Nubia/Kush

Nubia (Land of Gold): The Kingdom of Kush (also called Nubia - the Land of Gold)

Hey Day: Nubia was known as the Land of the Bow. Because their archers were expert and fierce.

Major Exports: They had gold mines, ivory, incense, and iron ore.

Resources: Unlike Egypt, in Nubia, they were not dependent upon the flooding of the Nile for good soil to grow crops and long growing seasons. They enjoyed tropical rainfall all year long.

Exports:Trade was very important to Kush. They established flourishing ports on the Red Sea. They tried to work out trade agreements with Egypt that would allow them free access to the Mediterranean via the Nile River. Egyptians depended on Kush for iron, gold, and for exotic goods like incense and ebony. Kush wanted Egyptian manufactured goods, especially their cotton, an export for which Egypt is still famous today.

Industry: As the demand for iron grew, Kush ran into a problem. To make iron, they needed to wood to burn. They had wood, lots of wood. But they burned so much wood in the process of making iron, and they used up supplies so fast, that the forests could not keep up.

Kush looked around for new avenues of trade. They had incense. They had ivory. Certainly someone would want these wonderful products. The leaders of Kush began to turn their eyes towards the vast Sahara Desert. Whas it possible? Could they develop a trade route to the far away kings of which they had great things?

Achievements

• Developed their own religion and alphabets after the Egyptian gods and heiroglyphics

• Learned to make iron weapons and tools– Wasted iron is still left in the capital city Meroe

(in the ruins)

• Trade – Arabia, Egypt, Mediterranean, East Africa, and India

Axum• Where?

– South of Kushites, developed on the plateaus of Ethiopia

• Power?– King Ezana conquered Kush (350 BC)

• Achievements: – Trading Empire: close to the Red Sea allowed

for great access and control of spices, gems and ivory to Egypt, Asia, and Arabia

– Christianity: one of the few African kingdoms to convert to Christianity, and became isolated later on by the Muslim dominated Africa

Ghana • The kingdom of Ghana had its heyday from 900 CE

through 1230 CE • Major Export: Gold • Natural resource: Niger River, Gold Mines • Industries: Farming, mining, trading, defense (army) • Agricultural crops: Yams (sweet potatoes), beans, rice,

onions, sorghum, millet, papaya, gourds, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, cotton, and peanuts.

• Economic specialization: Traders, miners, farmers, blacksmiths, soldiers

• Famous Ghanians: Anansi the Spider, Griots • People: Happy. The common people worked very hard.

Nobles were more comfortable. Everyone made time for music, art, and the griots.

• Religion: Many gods and goddesses

Mali• The empire of Mali had its heyday from 1200 CE through

the late 1400's. • Major Export: Gold • Natural resource: Niger River, Gold Mines, Salt Mines • Industries: Farming, mining, trading, defense (army) • Agricultural crops: Beans, rice, onions, sorghum, millet,

papaya, gourds, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, cotton, and peanuts.

• Economic specialization: Traders, miners, farmers, blacksmiths, soldiers

• Famous People: Sundiata, Mansa Musa • People: Happy. The common people worked very hard.

Nobles were more comfortable. Everyone made time for music, art, and the griots.

• Religion: Nobles – Muslims; Common People - Many gods and goddesses

Songhai• The empire of Songhay had its heyday from 1400's through

the late 1500's. • Major Export: Gold • Most Sought After Import: Books • Natural resource: Fish, Niger River, Gold Mines, Salt Mines • Industries: Farming, mining, trading, defense (army) • Agricultural crops: Beans, rice, onions, sorghum, millet,

papaya, gourds, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, cotton, and peanuts.

• Economic specialization: Fishermen, traders, miners, farmers, blacksmiths, soldiers, witchdoctors

• Famous People: Sonni Ali the Great • People: The common people worked very hard. The nobles

were more comfortable. • Religion: Nobles – Muslims; Common People - Many gods

and goddesses

• Camels (Ships of the Desert): – Around 750 CE, Islamic

traders began to use camels to transports goods across the desert.

– Camels were the perfect answer.

– Every trader knew his camels were the best! Camels soon were nicknamed the "Ships of the Desert".

Trade Routes Develop

• The Trans-Sahara Trade Route:– Caravans of camels were loaded with trade

goods. (spices from India, iron tools and weapons from Kush)

– The day the first caravan of camels headed west into the Sahara Desert was the day that marked the opening of the Trans-Sahara Trade Route.

Timbuktu

• Where:

• What:

• How:

• Whom:

Complete the questions based on the reading

Mansa Musa

• Create a Bio Board of Mansa Musa based on the reading provided. – Must include a picture – Must include important facts and dates

Trading States Quiz

• What was the downfall to the Kingdom of Kush? Explain how that caused their downfall.

• What benefits were there to the trade between African states?

• Explain the Trans-Sahara Trade Route and its importance.

• Describe what Mansa Musa did for Africa. • Explain why Timbuktu saved Northern

Africa from the Europeans.

What do we know about slavery

•

Seminar: Questions to Ponder…

• Captive Africans resisted slavery from the moment they were first captured through their arrival and existence on plantations in the New World. Describe some of the ways they resisted. What does “mutiny” mean? What part did mutinies play in the slave trade?

• How were slaves treated in the markets once they arrived in the New World ? What do you suppose was the most humiliating aspect of being sold as a slave?

• What did these captive Africans bring to the New World? How did they help build the economy of America?

Seminar: Questions to ponder…

• How did African leaders work with European slave-traders? What did the Europeans have that the African leaders wanted? What role did technology play? How did this effect the balance of power in the interior of Africa?

• One historian says that the most significant impact of the slave trade was the “psychological impact.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

Slave Trade

The Journey

• From the 1400s to 1800s, approximately 20 million people were kidnapped from interior areas of Africa and made to walk hundreds of miles to the coast.

• Those who survived the grueling hike -- only about half -- then boarded ships that would take as long as four months to sail the Atlantic Ocean and deposit them as slaves in North America, South America or the Caribbean.

Why the Middle Passage?

1

2

3

Effects of the Slave Trade

• European Presence in Africa – leading to their eventual overtaking/colonization of Africa.

• African culture is changed at home and its perception in the world is changed.

• Trade Routes are changed and the distribution of wealth is changed.

• Destruction of the Western Coast – deforestation

What is Imperialism?

• The domination of a country by another country– Political, Economic, and Cultural life is

changed and controlled

How did it begin?

• The slave trade brought Europeans into Africa

• David Livingstone proved Africa to be a place for more than just slaves – gold, diamonds, natural resources, etc.

• King Leopold II of Belgium started imperialism

• “Scramble for Africa” – European Countries race to colonize Africa

How did it begin?• Explorers such as David

Livingstone, John Speke, Richard Burton, and Henry Stanley explored and claimed the land for their mother country

• Europeans had technological superiority: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION– Guns allowed Europe to conquer

Africa from 1880 to 1890

Motives of Europe – 3 G’s#1 Need for raw materials and a market for

goods – Industrial Revolution

#2 Nationalism (feelings of national pride) sparked desire for an empire and to boost their place in the world

#3 Power and Prestige

#4 White Man’s Burden” to spread Christianity to the natives

Mad Scramble • 1870s is when the scramble begins

• Gold discovered by Cecil Rhodes in Johannesburg (S. Africa)

• Europeans divide the continent amongst themselves

The Scramble for Africa • Which European nation controlled much of

West Africa?

• In what period did southern Africa come under European rule?

• Which conclusion is accurate based on the information in the map?

(1) In 1900, only two nations in Africa remained independent.

(2) Germany and France controlled most of East Africa.

(3) The first colony seized by Britain was Uganda.

(4) The stiffest resistance to European rule occurred in North Africa.

Berlin Conference (1884-85)• African Resistance to European Dominance

– Ethiopia and Liberia remained free for now – Colonial regions we set up– Great Britain and France largest Africa empires – Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and Germany got some

control– Tribal chiefs signed treatise relinquishing control of

people and land – did not understand what was being done to them

The Struggle for South Africa • Three groups of people engage in

a struggle: local African groups, Dutch settlers known as Boers, and the British

• The Zulus (native African group) were expanding south and the Boers were expanding north – conflict ensues for years

• The British step in and the Zulus were defeated eventually take over South Africa and setup their own government which only allowed white people the vote – eventually the Boers controlled the government

How the Colonies were ruled

• Directly: colonial power controlled the government at every level– French– Belgian– Portuguese

• Indirectly – left tradition rulers in place. Officials made decisions, local rulers were expected to enforce them– Great Britain

Effects of European Rule[New political and economic systems]

• Discussion and consensus (Africa) vs. principles of right and wrong (Europe)

• Money economy is introduced to Africans– Europeans required payment of taxes in

money rather than goods– Encouraged individual ownership of land

How Imperialism Changed Africa

1. Downgraded traditional African culture and weakened family/tribal ties

2. Led to forced labor and abuses of human rights

3. Created artificial boundaries that cut across historical, ethnic, and cultural boundaries

4. Improved medical care, sanitation, and nutrition

How Imperialism Changed Africa

5. Expanded transportation and communication – opened remote areas

6. Increased agricultural production with new seeds and fertilization (Green Revolution)

7. Created new educational and career opportunities

8. Population explosion

How Imperialism Changed Africa

9. Increased production of cash crops need in Europe (Africa became more dependent on importing food)

10.Exploited natural resources (minerals, lumber, rubber)

11.By the mid 1960s most of Africa broke away and was independent

Imperialism Quiz

1 – List three effects of Imperialism on Africa2 – Name three European countries that

controlled Africa3 – Explain why Africa was ripe for the

taking 4 – Explain what the Berlin Conference was

and did5 – What was the lasting effect of

imperialism that is still being felt today

Independence

• Journal Entry #2 – You have been under the rule of the seniors for 1

year and then the annual competition between the seniors and juniors begins. You are useful to the seniors in the war and help them win the competition. When the competition is over you ask for some repayment of your services – in the form of freedom. Some of the seniors give you some freedom and some refuse to hear your requests.

– One freshmen versus the whole senior class will not work. What are your options, tools to resist and what are your reactions?

African Independence• WWII breaks (1939-1945) out and

European powers ask African colonies to supply men for the war

• After the War Africans do not want to suffer under European rule any longer

• After WWII Africans - Scramble for Independence • Africa was very weak and needed

strength in order to push the Europeans back to Europe

Effects of European Rule

• Colonial rule left Africa in a state of infancy– Were not trained in how to run a government,

just told what to do– Were accustom to the European lifestyle, and

dependent upon it – Borders that were drawn by Europeans

grouped ethnic rivals together and separated ethnic groups that were similar – disunity

“Africa for Africans”

• Unity before Independence

• Negritude Movement and Pan-Africanism develop – Negritude Movement: celebrate African

culture, heritage, and values through the arts

– Pan-Africanism: unity of all Africans – Nationalism

Independence?

Without European guidance could Africa survive in the world and could it progress with the world?

How was Independence Gained: A look at 4 country’s struggles

• Ghana (British) (Gold Coast – former name)– Kwame Nkrumah – Nonviolent Independence movements– 1957 independence gained – Strong Start

• Gold, cocoa, diamonds

– 1966 Nkrumah ousted – Since 1981 military rule/dictator

How was Independence Gained: A look at 4 country’s struggles

• Kenya (British)– Jomo Kenyatta united themany different ethnic groups– Mau Mau – 1963 Independence– Kenyatta President – University students – 1990s– Moi’s

How was Independence Gained: A look at 4 country’s struggles

• Congo – 1960 by Belgium– Weak and unprepared– Mobutu Sese Seko– Wastes and steals

money and resources– Laurent Kabilia

How was Independence Gained: A look at 4 country’s struggles

• Algeria (French)– Violent means to bring about freedom – 1962 France gave independence– Government tried to modernize and

industrialize– Islamic– Civil War

How was Independence Gained: A look at 4 country’s struggles

• Angola (Portugal)– 1975– Couldn’t afford – Not prepared – Rebel groups– Soviet Union and Cuba– USA – NO strong government

Independence Quiz

1 – Explain the two means that African used to seek independence

2 – What country was the first to receive independence from Europe

3 – Explain how Europe turned Africans against Africans in the fight for Independence

4 – What decade saw the most independent African countries

5 – Who was Jomo Kenyatta and what did he do

Origins of Apartheid • 1910 South Africa free

– But ruled by a white minority until 1994

• 1948 Nationalist party takes power in Africa– Dutch Settlers – Strong belief in white

superiority – Set up a system of rigid race

separation (apartheid)

•

Logistics of Apartheid

• Categories: – White – Black – “Coloured” (mixed race)– Asian

• Nonwhites could not vote, restricted to certain areas to live and work - infertile

• “Separation of races/ethnic groups allowed each group to develop its own culture”

Logistics of Apartheid

• Pass system – All blacks living in town had to carry to control their movement

• “Black” schools, buses, restaurants, etc.

Struggle Against • Leaders of Nonviolence

approach: Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mendela, African National Congress– Protests, demonstrations, rallies

• Government used violent means – Sharpeville Massacre

• World Responds: UN, USA, Olympics – Embargos, banned, sanctions

The End

• Pass books, and restrictions slowly lifted– 1989 President F.W. de Klerk– 1990 New Constitution – 1994 new elections

• Mandela President, 1994

Effects of Apartheid

• People from rural areas are looking for work; high birthrate

• People cannot afford to eat a nbbalanced diet

• Smog from cars; smoke from coal and wood fires

• Floods; rainforest deforestation

• Unemployment; chronic illness

• Poor sanitation; lack of affordable healthcare

Africa Today

• Recovery

• Urbanization and Modernization

• Continent Unity

• International Ties

Africa’s Challanges

• AIDS Epidemic

• Famine

• Status of Women

• Debt

• Civil War

• Genocide