West African Societies Around 1492 By: Stacy, Sean, Satoshi, Lucia, Dimitrios-Konstantinos Sparis

Important Terms TermDefinition SavannaA dry grassland doted with trees and bushes IslamA monotheistic religion founded in Arabia in 1622 by the Prophet Mohammed PlantationFarms on which a single crops and grown. Normally a single crop that requires a lot of human labor SonghaiA kingdom, reaching its climax in the mid-1400s, gained control of the sub- Saharan trade from Mali KongoA series of small kingdoms organized under a single leader named Manikongo BeninA large region around the Niger Delta LineageA line of common descent

West African Climate Zone Tropical Rain Forests-Dense Forest blanketing Atlantic coast and central Africa Savanna- dry grassland dotted with trees and bushes Niger River Delta- broad river forming broad arc across the savanna

Major Geographical Features

Kingdoms and Their Climate Zone’s The Songhai lived on the plains of the savanna, their horsemen not loosing a single battle. Benin, a reason for their survival as a kingdom, existed in the dense forests where Songhai’s horsemen could not penetrate, enjoying prosperity on river banks. Kongo was laid out on the lower banks of the Zaire (Congo) river. They mined ore from the iron, gold, and diamond mines in the area.

West African Trade System Songhai in the years gained power and wealth by controlling the Sahara trade were wealthy by taxing the goods that passed through Benin carried goods across the Niger River, which the trade of Songhai and North Africa, and later with Portugal, this helped Benin grow richer and extends its borders. Kongo sold the weapons made from the mined ore, as well as the woven palm leaf threads. It appeared like velvet, and the Portuguese bought this product in large amounts.

West Africa/America Europeans and Americas would come into the ports of West Africa looking for cheap labor. They would leave with about 150 slaves The patriotic ballad ‘Amazing Grace’ was written by a slave trader who finally saw the wrong in his ways. He realized that what he was doing went against the basic rights of every human being.