1-3 Bellringer

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery/videos/origins-of-slavery

CHAPTER 1SECTION 3

The West Africans

West African Kingdoms

West Africa landscape is very diverse Sahara Desert dominates the Northern Part South of Desert is a savanna (grassland) South of Savanna is a lush region

Natural Resources Gold Salt

Ghana

Earliest Kingdom in AfricaRose to Prominence around A.D. 800Muslim influence in Africa due to caravan

trading Supplied much of Gold for the Mediterranean

RegionPower weakened around A.D. 1200

Mali

Mansa Musa most famous rulerHe increased role of Islam Helped lead to founding of a famous

university in TimbuktuMali weakened in 1332 with Death of Mansa

Musa

Songhai

Emerges in mid 1400’sAskia Muhammad ruler1468 they conquer Mali and its capital and

become most power kingdom in West Africa

West African Life

Spiritual beliefs varied; Islam mixed with Traditional beliefs

Believed in spirits that could intervene in human affairs

Land was shared by kinship networksOwning slaves or wives determined wealth

not property

Slavery in West Africa

Slavery common in West AfricaSlaves were those captured during war,

criminals and people viewed as undesirableSlaves were mistreated and treated badly but

system was different than that in AmericaSlaves in West Africa usually adopted in

families that bought them; could marry and their children were not born into slavery

Slave Trade

Portuguese set out to explore West Africa for gold; evolved into trading and then slave trade.

Portuguese didn’t invent slave trade but expanded it.

Forts set up to become trading centers starting in 1482

Slaves bought and sent to Europe, Madeira, Canary ,Azore Islands and America

African Kingdoms