cape cxc rlf publications

1. CAPE®
EVIDENCE OF WEST AFRICAN
MOVEMENTS TO THE AMERICAS
LESSON 2
Directed by
REMONE L. FOSTER, LL.B

2. IMPORTANT NOTICE
The first topic on the CAPE History Unit 1 syllabus requires students to consider one Advanced
indigenous group (Maya, Inca or Aztec) and one simple indigenous group (Tupi, Kalinago and
Taino). Students should have an understanding of their agricultural, economic and Political practices
and be able to compare them.
On the exam, this might come as an ESSAY QUESTION, and it will also come on the MULTIPLE-
CHOICE PAPER.
Because this is an area that students would have done (to some extent) at the CSEC level, we will be
skipping this part of the syllabus because it may be very expansive and boring. Lesson 1 focused on
the Maya and you are invited to watch the video on YouTube.
CAUTION: It is important to note that you should try your best to avoid answering an essay
question on this topic. It is marked extremely hard because the examiner believes that student
should know more since they did this topic at CSEC. Furthermore, it is difficult to compare the
indigenous groups and most students are not critical enough. Most of the subject reports
suggest that students do poorly at this essay question. AVOID IT unless there are no other
question that you can do. IF YOU LOVE THE TOPIC AND HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR
KNOWLEDGE, YOU CAN ATTEMPT IT.

3. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
• Consider How the Africans were able to the travel to the Americas;
• Identify the types of evidence that indicate the presence of Africans in the
Americas in the pre-Columbian era;
• Critically consider the arguments made by Africanist historians;
• Recall the Ivan Sertima thesis and critically examine it;
• Critically examine whether the arguments advanced by Africanist historians
can be discredited.
• To answer the following essay questions that were on recent Exams:

4. QUESTIONS ALERT
CAPE 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
Critically examine the evidence of the Nordic and West African
presence in the Americas before 1492. (30 marks)
CAPE 2011
“The claim of a West African presence in the Americas prior to
Columbus’ arrival is unconvincing.” Assess this view. (30 marks)
CAPE 2015
Assess the merits of the Van Sertima thesis for a pre-Columbian
African presence in the Americas. (30 marks)

5. EUROCENTRIC HISTORY
• Christopher Columbus came to the Americas in 1492.
• From this point, history has been that the Europeans were the first groups to came to the Americas
and to have influenced the cultural, economic, social and political development of the Americas.
However, history has been written from a Euro-centric point and studies have now shown that:
(a) The Africans may have come to the Americas (South America and the Caribbean) over 300 years
before Columbus arrived.
(b) The Europeans (Norse or Vikings) came to the America (Canada and North America) from about
the 10th Century.
• From as early as the 1920s, Africanist historian Leo Weiner published, Africa and the Discovery
of the Americas, arguing that the West African had arrived in the Americas long before Columbus.
These beliefs and findings were appreciated by few but ignored by many.
• Ivan Sertima, They came before Columbus (1976), wrote extensively on modern discoveries to
support this thesis and paved the way for further research in the area. IVAN SERTIMA’S THESIS
argued that Africans came to the Americas in the pre-Columbian period and was able to influence
the socio-economic, cultural and political development of indigenous societies (particularly those
of the Olmec Civilization who were the indigenous groups in Mexico and Central America).

6. HOW DID
THE
AFRICANS
COME TO
THE
AMERICAS?

7. • It is believed that the first Africans who came to the Americas were traders
who wanted to explore the Atlantic Ocean and trade with the indigenous
people.
• It is estimated that they arrived some 300 years before Columbus arrived in
the Americas.
• It is argued that the Africans that came to the Americas were respected by
the indigenous people and were able to integrate into indigenous society.
• The effect of this is that they were able to influence the cultural, social,
economic and political development of the Americas.
• According to the Ivan Sertima thesis, it is possible that the first groups of
Africans to arrive in the Americas were the Egyptian (751-656 B.C.E.) and
the Mandingo people of the Mali Empire (1310 and 1311).

8. ORAL HISTORY
OF THE MALI
PEOPLE:
KING ABU
BAKR II

9. • The first piece of evidence about African visit to the Americas comes from the oral history of
the Mali people in Africa.
• Sertima argued that the first visit of the Africans to the Americas must have been seriously
mistaken. By this, they arrived by mistake probably from being trapped in the trade winds in
the Atlantic Ocean.
• Sertima (1972) wrote: “Then there is oral history of the two peoples. The Griots- traditional
historians and masters of orature-“Oral Literature” in Mali, have stories about their king,
Abubakari the second, grandson of Sundiata, the founder of the Mali Empire (larger than the
Holy Roman Empire), who set out on a great expedition of large boats. None of the boats
returned to Mali.”
• Apparently, these ships were pulled away by the trade winds and currents and because of their
nature, could not fight them to return.
• The story of King Abubakari (Abu Kabr II) is that sometimes in the early 1300s (1310 or
so), he wanted to explore the Atlantic Ocean due to the knowledge he received from the
Arabs. He sent an expedition with several ships laden with goods, people, animals, plants and
luxury items to sail across the Atlantic. Only one returned advising him that the rest of the
ships were pulled away by the winds and currents in the Ocean. He was excited about the
prospect of finding land and so he again loaded several ships and decided to personally lead
the voyage. He left his brother Mansa Musa (Musa I) in charge. He did not return.

10. TRADE WINDS AND
CURRENTS
• The trade winds and currents
in the Atlantic Ocean could
explain why the Africans
were able to reach the
Americas. These trade winds
and currents are continuous
throughout the year and it is
difficult to navigate them.

11. DID COLUMBUS KNOW?
• Another piece of evidence could be the writings of Christopher Columbus.
• There is evidence that Columbus was convinced that he could sail West to
reach the east because of what he learnt of the Atlantic Ocean in West
Africa. Columbus was a slave trader and this allowed him to visit West
Africa on several occasions.
• Africanist historians argued that Columbus learned about the trade winds
and currents in the Atlantic Ocean and that several voyages were made by
Africans to the Americas. It was this knowledge that gave him the
confidence to travel across the ocean. This is important because at the time,
many Europeans were of the view that their were several ship eating
monsters in the sea and that the earth was flat.

12. • Columbus was the first European to speak about the presence of black people
(Africans) in the Americas.
• When Columbus landed in Hispaniola, the Taino people told him that the spears
that they had were given to them by black men.
• In his diary, Columbus wrote: “There had came to Hispaniola people who have
the tops of their spears made of metal, which they call guanine, of which he
had sent samples to the Sovereigns (their Kings and Queens) to have them
assayed, when it was found that 32 parts, 18 were gold, six of silver and eight
of copper.”
• These samples were sent to Spain on a mail boat and were found to be identical to
what was being forged in African Guiana.
• Columbus’s son – Ferdinand Columbus – stated in his diary that his father told
him that he saw several black people in the Americas when he arrived.

13. ARCHAEOLOGICAL
EVIDENCE
• Many historians did not accept the
evidence of the oral history and the
writings of Columbus.
• As such, the most significant evidence
of African presence in the Americas is
archaeological evidence.
• This is because these evidence are
tangible.
• These evidence include: the pyramids,
the stone heads, skeleton, the loom and
others.

14. THE PYRAMIDS
• Historians believe that the step pyramids
found in the Americas can be traced to that of
ancient Babylon and Egypt.
• Pyramid building was a specialized form of
construction. In Egypt they progressed from
the stepped pyramid of Djaser, to finished
product at Giza. At La Venta, which was the
location of the first pyramid in the Americas,
the pyramid found was a fully finished one.
• There was no sign of progressive learning,
which meant that they had to learn from
someone.

15. AFRICAN SKELETONS
• Another great find in February 1975 by a Smithsonian Institution team was two Negroid
male skeletons.
• These skeletons were found in the U.S. Virgin Islands in a grave that was used and
abandoned long before Columbus arrived. The soil was dated to be about 1250 A.D.
• The teeth showed “dental mutilation characteristics of early Africans cultures.”
• This discovery in 1975 would indicate that Africans were here before Columbus.
• They died here before Columbus and they were buried here before the arrival of
Columbus
• Rossum (1996) argued that there is no conclusive evidence that the skeletons found are
from Africans because the studies done had compared the skeletons to modern old world
people.
• Some historians argue that the Indigenous People came to the region from Asia. There is
no conclusive evidence that black people (Africans) were not among them.

16. THE STONE
HEADS
• These have been found that many Indigenous
Societies in South and Central America had
some art form indicating that of African
teachings.
• In the Mayan communities such as Tres
Zapotes and La Venta in Mexico, for example,
colossal stone heads were found that according
to Dr. Michael Stirling, “were bold and
amazingly Negroid in nature”.
• All of the stone heads had features that
indicated an African presence such as the
fullness of the lips, the bread fleshly nose, the
lines of the cheek and jaw and the Ethiopian
type braids.

17. COMPARING FACIAL
FEATURES
• Not all historians are convinced
that the stone heads are actually
negroidic in nature. Coe (1983) felt
that the artist craving the sculptures
did not have appropriate tools to
make them smaller.
Bernal (1965) argue that the
sculptures were really of a human
jaguar combination

18. The Loom
• This was a machine used to make
cloth. Loom of Horizontal types
appeared in Peru. It was found to be
identical with a horizontal loom
depicted in an Egyptian tomb.
• When the four (4) vertical looms
appeared in Peru, it was identical with
those found in a tomb at Thebes, the
sacred capital of the black King. Both
the New World and the Old World
looms had the same two working
parts.

19. BOTANICAL
EVIDENCE
• From civilizations such as Mali, Songhay and Egypt
came principal American foods.
• The cotton seeds, banana plant, bottle gourd, jack
beans and the West African yam all have African
origins and they had suddenly appeared in the
Americas without explanation.
• Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe about
800 A.D. When Columbus discovered America in
1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahama
Islands. By 1500, cotton was known generally
throughout the world. .
• Critics argue that most of the plants found in the
Americas that were of West African origins could
have come to the region by way of bird droppings and
ocean currents. There is little evidence that Africans
came to the region and brought these crops.

20. THE MAYAN CALENDAR
• The next indication was the calendar the Mayan people used based on
the moon and sun.
• The calendar was quite accurate and very similar to the Egyptian
calendar.
• Professor Wiener believed that Mayan Mathematics corresponded with
the number system of the Bambaras of Guinea.
• Both people organized their year into 366 days with 12 months of 30
days and each added 5 days to every year.
• Both used those excess 5 days for worship and relaxation.

21. LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE
• Language: Closer examination revealed the meanings assigned to the different
linguistics evidence of the Africans and South Americans. It is evident that the
West African languages and South American languages are similar. These
similarities can be traced to common root words. These differences are too close to
occur so frequently to be coincidence. For example, The Mayan word for
marketplace was Tanquazro which was closely linked to the West African word
tangozmao meaning trader.
• Writing skills: Another indication was the writing system used in the Americas
called Micmac Hieroglyphs. When comparing this style of writing to the simpler
cursive form of Egyptians hieroglyphic, called hieratic, over half were found
similar. Closer examination revealed the meanings assigned to these signs
matched.

22. MAJOR CRITICISM
• Michael Coe (1983) who studied the Aztec and other indigenous societies
disagree with Van Sertima Thesis.
• He argued that Africanist historians such as Weiner and Sertima are really
undermining the accomplishments made by the advanced indigenous people
when they argue that the Africans had somehow influenced their social and
political system.
• The thesis undermine the achievements made by the Mesoamericans (such
as the Maya, Aztec etc).
• Other theorists such as Gabrieal Haslip-Viera, Bernard Ortiz de Montellano
and Warren Barbour (1997) argue along the lines of Coe that Afrcanist
theorists are robbing Native American cultures.

23. There is evidence that Columbus was aware of the presence of Africans
in the Americas prior to 1492 because he
(A) travelled to West Africa before he came to the Americas
(B) traded with West Africans when he arrived in the Americas
(C) ships were attacked by West Africans pirates in the Americas
(D) saw numerous African men when he came to the Americas

24. All of the following historians were strong supporters of the
position that Africans journeyed to the Americas prior to
Columbus EXCEPT
(A)Leo Weiner
(B)Harold Lawrence
(C)Ivan Van Sertima
(D)Michael Coe

25. SOURCES
• Beltran, A. Reportaje grafico del hallage de Las Lima. INAH Boletin 21:9-26, Mexico City, 1965.
• Haslip-Viera, G; Ortiz de Montellano, B; and Barbour W. Robbing Native American Cultures: Van
Sertima’s Afrocentricity and the Olmecs. Current Anthropology, Vol. 38 No. 3, 1997 (The University
of Chicago Press)
• Van Sertima, I. They Came Before Columbus, New York: Random House, 1976.
• Weiner, L. Africa and the Discovery of the America, 1920.