Early History of Africa, South of the Sahara

Early History Early History of Africa, of Africa,

South of the South of the SaharaSahara

Ch. 21.2

1. Nomadic Groups (Berber, Bushmen)

2. Southern Nile River civilization

3. Trans-Saharan Trade (Ghana, Mali, Songhai)

4. East African Trade (Swahili)

5. Exploration of Africa

6. Slave Trade Expands

7. European Colonialism

8. Independence

9. Present-Day: Problems & Successes

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Ghana: The Kingdom of Gold• 1st great W. Afn trading empires

• Practiced trad. Afn religions, but very tolerant of Muslim traders

CAMEL CARAVANS!

• Power came from ability to use iron weapons to control gold and salt trade– Taxed all trade

– Collected harvest portions

• Weakened w/ Berber attacks enter Islam

The Kingdom of Mali• Rose to power after

Ghana (about twice the size)

• Most powerful under rule of Mansa Musa

– Encouraged Islam (officials had to read/write in Arabic)

– Made the hajj

Songhai Empire• Replaced Mali gradually

• Islam became official religion

• Built university in Timbuktu (keeping city @ center)

Timbuktu and Major Trade Routes

Bantu Migrations• Absorbed other ppl

into their society– 60 to 150 million ppl

speak a Bantu lang.

• Iron tools allowed more efficient work

• Est. colony-like states

• CULTURAL DIFFUSION

Swahili Trading States

• Swahili is a Bantu lang.

• Traded gold, slaves, ivory, leopard skins, etc. with Persia, India, & China

• City development

Another Bantu grp. (Shona)

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The Slave Trade

Triangular Trade

The Atlantic Slave Trade

Berlin Conference- 1884• How did the Industrial Rev. impact colonialism in

Africa?– Need cheap labor, raw materials, new markets, and

competition b/w countries

• Why was the Berlin Conf. called?– Settle territorial disputes, controlling slave trade,

humanitarian work promotion– Really just to divvy up continent

• What was the doctrine of “effective occupation”?– To own coastal land, had to prove you were capable of

protecting freedom of trade & transit (wealthy and powerful enough to handle it). “Sphere of Influence”

Berlin Conference Summary–

-14 powers divided up Africa without consideration of cultures

-Result of boundaries:

1. African peoples divided

2. Hostile societies thrown together

3. Migration routes cut off

Which two

European

powers ruled

much of

Africa south

of the Sahara?

African Independence

• Really took off after WWII – weakening of Europeans

• Used Africans for military- How might have African participation in this war have aided freedom movements?

• Larger grp. of educated Afns

Colonial Legacy- Set Up for Failure• Weakened African traditions – imposed own culture

(“civilizing”)• Antagonism between tribes• Low level of development

*most rely on a single crop or mineral – plantations, mines, etc.

• Authoritarian governments

*Europeans did not allow opportunities for Africans to participate in government, never knew democratic rule.

- political corruption, lack of respect for rule of law

List 3 examples in which political boundaries divide an ethnic group. What problems might result from the political divisions created by colonial powers?

Colonial Economies

Present Day

Ethnic Groups in Nigeria

In what ways did colonialism affect the region’s development and set the stage for current conflicts in Sub-

Saharan Africa?

List some major migrations that occurred in Sub Saharan Africa. Then

choose one migration, and write a paragraph about the motivation for

and the effects of the migration.