1. Ghana, Mali, and Songhai: The Great North-African Trading Empires

2. Common Themes All Gold Nuggets Belonged to the Emperor
- The rest of the population uses mainly gold dust and salt as currency
Salt is imported from the Saharan desert
- In the North of the empires it is almost as valuable as gold
- In the South it is more valuable

3. Common Themes Extensive slave trade
- up to 6,000-7,000 a year at the height
- some slave soldiers imported as well
Islamicate
- Spread through trans-saharan trade
- Timbuktu and other centers of Islamic learning grow
- Possible use of Islam to centralize authority

6. Ghana (c. 750–c. 1235)

7. Mali (c. 1230–c. 1600)

8. Songhai (c. 1340–1591)

9. Accounts of Mansa Musa and Ibn Battuta's Travels- Draw Conclusions about these Empires

10. Based on the stuff that I picked to talk about, what do you think are the main ideas about Ghana, Mali, and Songhai that I want you to come away with?