Pre-Imperialist AfricaSera Passerini

Content Review

▪ Background of Africa▪ Beginnings of European Involvement▪ Slave Trade▪ Primary Documents▪ Relation to Things Fall Apart

Background of Africa

▪ Rich in resources▪ Many different civilizations and cultures▪ Europeans, up until 15th century, did not know much▪ Ibn Battuta and his travels

The Extent of Africa

Beginnings of European Involvement

▪ Exploration, trade, alliances, slavery▪ Portuguese began in East Africa ⇀Great Zimbabwe– Sophisticated pastoralist society– Not interested in political power– Established Prazos

▪ Dutch in South Africa– 1652⇀Cape settlement– “Boer”– Khoesan– Xhosa

Beginnings of European Involvement

▪ Long Distance Trade begins– Spread of religion– Language– Luxury goods– Fashion– Education– New markets– Alliances– Shifts in political power– Competition– Class shifts

Slave Trade

•By 1820s, African v. European migrants in America = 4:1•16th century slavery was nonexistent•Slavery did not fade slowly

Slave Trade

Primary Documents

“ Standing in the water up to his shoulders or thereabouts, for so deep was the tank that those were were to be baptized entered by the steps, naked, with their backs to the Prester” –Father Francisco Alvarez, “The Land of Prester John”, 1540

“Merchants are taking every day our natives, sons of the land… they grab them and get them to be sold…we have got neither dispensaries nor drugs which might help” –Nzinga Mbemba, aka King Affonso, “Appeal to the King of Portugal”, ≈1400

Relation to Things Fall Apart

▪ The fall of Abame– “He was not an albino. He was quite different.” (Achebe, 138)

▪ Missionaries– “They have joined his religion and they help touphold his government” (Achebe, 176)

Works Cited

▪ Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.

▪ Carpenter, Nathan. "African Civilization 136B." N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

▪ "The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Has Information on More than 35,000 Slave Voyages." Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2014.