1. West Africa Around 1492

2. The Sahara Highway
From before 600 AD traders traveled across the Sahara Desert in order to trade goods and transfer ideas.

3. The Saharan Epicenter: Songhai
Controlled most of West Africa
Except the forest kingdoms
Timbuktu
the hub of a well-established trading network
These ports allowed access to markets in Europe and Asia.

4. Timbuktu became a busy commercial center
Good location
Because of trade routes it grew wealthy and powerful.

5. Benin Forests provided protection from conquest
Allowed access for trade.
Traders carried goods out of the forests or paddled them along the Niger River to the savanna
Flourishing trade made the forest kingdom of Benin very rich.

6. Benin was specifically known for its highly developed metal-working industries.

7. Kongo
- Within another stretch of rain forest, in West Central Africa, the powerful kingdom of Kongo arose.

8. In the late 1400s, Kongo consisted of a series of small kingdoms
ruled by a single leader
the Manikongo
could be either a man or a woman.
Dom Pedro VII and Dona Isabel ( )

9. Livelihood Middle Bottom
West Africans divided tasks by age and by social status.
Top
village leaders/ kings and queens and religious leaders were equal
Middle
Artisans (people specializing in a skill like metal-smithing) coming next
Bottom
Peasants
Leaders
(Kings, Queens, Rel.)
Artisans
Peasants

10. Slavery? At the lowest rung in some societies were slaves.
People were not born into slavery
Slavery did not mean a lifetime of servitude.
In Africa, slaves could escape their bondage in a number of ways.
Could be adopted into or they married into the family they served.
Slavery WAS NOT
Based on race like the
slavery that evolved in
the Americas.

11. You will now WORK WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR to create a comparison matrix!
We are covering Europeans during 1492 tomorrow. You will hold on to this and finish it after notes tomorrow.
Use your notes or you can search on the Smart Board if you need further information

12. Native Americans
West Africans
Europeans
Exclusive to N.A.
Similar because:
What they ALL had in common:
Exclusive to W. Africa
Exclusive to Europeans