This document outlines the agenda and key topics for a lecture on West African trading empires between 790-1600 CE. It discusses the rise and fall of several major empires, including Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Benin, and how the trans-Saharan gold-salt trade led to the growth of cities and spread of Islam. It also examines how increased demand for slaves in the 1500s due to European colonization of the Americas led to the devastation of the African slave trade.

1. Agenda
1/12/15
•Lecture:
West
African
Trading
Empires
(#2)
•Homework:
Map
Quiz
on
Friday

3. The
Gold-­‐Salt
Trade
•Caravans
-­‐
groups
of
traders
often
in
the
thousands
that
traded
goods
between
kingdoms.
•Many
traders
were
Berbers
or
indigenous
people
of
Algeria
or
Morocco
•Salt
from
the
North
of
Africa
and
Gold
from
the
South
were
exchanged
•Introduction
of
Camels
were
key
Why
is
salt
such
an
important
item
in
the
ancient
world?

4. Empire
of
Ghana
•790-­‐1240
CE
•Earliest
West
African
kingdom
•Had
control
over
the
gold
trade
and
used
this
money
to
create
an
army
and
trade
for
salt.
•Ghana
means
“war
chief”
•Earliest
inQluences
of
Islam
emerge
in
West
Africa
in
Ghana

5. Empire
of
Mali
1230s
-­‐
1600s
•The
Mali
empire
was
known
for
its
great
wealth
as
far
away
as
Europe
and
Middle
East
•Mansa
Musa
rules
the
empire
of
Mali
from
1312
to
1337
•He
expanded
the
empire
and
acquired
more
gold
and
monopolized
the
trade
routes
•The
caravans
from
the
Middle
East
brought
the
Islamic
faith
to
West
Africa.
•Mansa
Musa
converted
to
Islam
and
makes
a
pilgrimage
in
1324
Mansa
Musa

6. Empire
of
Mali
•By
converting
to
Islam,
Mansa
Musa
bring
Islamic
architecture,
knowledge,
and
culture
to
West
Africa
•Traders
were
more
likely
to
trade
with
them
than
non-­‐Islamic
Africans.
•Also,
“bargain”
deals
were
made
in
Mali
because
of
a
shared
faith.
•To
promote
the
empire,
Mansa
Musa
took
a
Hajj
to
Mecca
with
over
100
camels
each
carrying
300
lbs
of
gold

7. •Capital
city
was
Gao
•Sunni
Ali
(r.
1464-­‐1492)
the
Qirst
great
king
of
Songhai
who
captured
Timbuktu
and
Jenne.
Also
expanded
the
navy
and
conquered
the
former
Mali
and
Ghana
empires
•Askia
Muhammed
(1493-­‐1528)
-­‐
ruler
of
Songhai
after
Sunni
Ali.
Timbuktu
became
the
capital
of
Islamic
studies.
Created
a
government
based
on
bureaucracy.
Standardized
trade
measurements
in
W.
Africa
Rise
of
Songhai

8. Kingdom
of
Benin
(1440-­‐1897
c.e.)
•Small
but
wealthy
coastal
kingdom
in
West
Africa
•Their
trade
was
based
on
exchanging
goods
from
the
central
part
of
Africa
to
Europeans
and
African
kingdoms
in
the
south.
•Portuguese
and
later
Britain
are
trade
partners
•Ivory,
gold,
salt,
slaves
and
later
rum
for
guns
and
manufactured
goods

9. Exploring
the
Coast
of
Africa
•Portugal’s
Prince
Henry
“the
navigator”
wished
to
bypass
northern
Africa
•Looking
for
direct
route
to
Asia
•Trading
posts
established
along
the
coast
including
in
Senegal
•Vasco
de
Gama
makes
it
to
India
in
1498
•Ironically,
in
an
effort
to
bypass
Africa
additional
colonization
took
place
Vasco
de
Gama

10. Trade
in
Human
Beings
•Early
on
Europe
was
not
interested
in
trading
for
African
slaves.
•In
the
1500s
the
demand
for
slaves
increased
dramatically.
Why
was
demand
suddenly
so
high?

11. The
New
World
-­‐
Columbus
•European
colonization
of
New
World
spread
disease
among
Native
Americans
killing
millions.
•From
the
1500s
to
the
1800s,
slave
traders
sent
an
estimated
10
to
15
million
Africans
across
the
Atlantic
to
the
Americas.
•It
was
the
largest
forced
movement
of
people
in
human
history.

13. Effects
of
Slave
Trade
•Hundreds
of
years
of
slave
trade
caused
many
tribal
wars
in
Africa.
•Tribes
would
hunt
other
tribes
for
slaves
-­‐
sell
slaves
for
guns
-­‐
then
hunt
more.
•African’s
misunderstanding
of
European-­‐style
slavery
led
to
devastating
results

14. Effects
of
Slave
Trade
•African
diaspora
(def)
-­‐
the
scattering
of
Africans
taken
captive
by
slave
traders.
•After
Columbus
discovered
the
New
World,
Europeans
were
interested
in
exploration
and
fame.
•Europe
also
engaged
in
mercantilism
-­‐
which
needs
colonies
to
be
successful.

15. Directions for Document Work
•1. We are going to quickly form groups of 4. (teacher will
assist)
•2. In your groups, each person will read part of the
document by Alexander Falconbridge.
•3. After you read, discuss as a group. Each group will write
down the questions below and submit answers, in-class.

16. Questions for Document Work
1. Who wrote this document?
2. When and where was it written?
3. Why do you think it was written?
4. What is the basic summary?
Thinking critically
5. What part of the account was the most shocking or disturbing to you
and your group?
6. Describe how the system of slavery dehumanized Africans? Give
specific examples.