Africa RVCS World History

Africa Video [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyI1dzTOTRg

Overview of African History Ancient African Civilization (Pre-Middle Ages) Islamization & European Colonization of Africa (700-1900) Independence from Europe (Early to Mid-1900s) Marxist Takeovers (Mid to Late-1900s) Triumph of Democracy (1990-Present)

Regions of African Empires

Ancient African Civilization (West) Ghana—This country in West Africa is home to one of the most dominating African civilizations in the Middle Ages called the Akan state. Gold—One of Ghana’s most valuable resources in its history was gold. In fact, it became part of the Dutch, Swedish, Danish, and German “Gold Coasts” during colonization years. Years of Prominence: A.D. 700-1200

Ancient African Civilization (West) Mali—Under this powerful African empire, the cities Djenné and Timbuktu were built. They served as centers for trade and Islamic learning. [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuhVN5b8AFY Years of Prominence: A.D. 1200-1500

Ancient African Civilization (West) Songhai—At its peak, the Songhai empire was one of the largest empires in history. The city of Gao served as its “headquarters,” so to speak, and from there the empire expanded after the fall of Mali. However, Songhai itself disintegrated due to internal strife, paving the way for European colonization. [Link] http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mali.html Years of Prominence: A.D. 1470-1591

Ancient African Civilization (Central) Kanem-Bornu—This empire existed where modern-day Chad and Nigeria are located, in Central Africa. It lasted quite long as an empire, spanning over 1000 years. Years of Prominence A.D. 800-1846 [video, start at 29 sec] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4JGhfjKmMA

Ancient African Civilization (North & West) Economy—Western and Northern Africans fueled their economies by trading salt for gold (West had gold; North had salt).

Islamization of Africa [video, sk 1:49-54] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvnU0v6hcUo Impact—Since the Middle Ages, Islam has had a major impact in all regions of Africa, except for Southern Africa.

The Bantus Identity—The Bantus are African people from a variety of ethnicities and regions in Africa that speak the language of Bantu. They were especially dominant in African history in regions below the Sahara Desert and Sahel. Origins—It is likely that the Bantu language originated in West and Central Africa (modern-day Nigeria and Cameroon), and then spread to parts of East and Southern Africa.

Ethiopia Ethiopia—In East Africa, the Kingdom of Aksum existed, and is also known as the Empire of Ethiopia. However, the empire even extended outside of the African continent into the Arabian Peninsula (modern day Saudi Arabia and Yemen).

Africa (1890)

Africa (1914) The following countries made efforts to colonize portions of Africa: France Great Britain Belgium Spain Italy Germany Portugal

African Slave Trade

African Slave Trade [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXC4Q_4JVg Timeframe—The African slave trade lasted from the 1400s to the 1800s. The Slave Trade—While many European nations took part in the slave trade, so too did Arab nations. The Europeans sent many of their slaves to the Americas, but the Arab nations either kept them in Africa or brought them to their own countries.

North Africa The Berbers—This is an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa. Curiously, they have varied ancestries, but are nevertheless united by language and culture. Although the Roman Empire occupied North Africa during its height, the Berbers became a free people upon the empire’s fall. However, Islam conquered most of North Africa in the Middle Ages, which is still the dominant today. [video NOT PREV] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ndOgrpo4A Egypt—This historic country, known for one of the earliest civilizations, has essentially served as the bridge between Africa and the Middle East.

Modern-day African Wars [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXkMmdVb9uw