1. Primary Source Analysis, Discussion, & Thesis Creation
African Perspectives of Europeans vs. European Perspectives of Africans 13th -17th Centuries West Africa
Primary Source Analysis, Discussion, & Thesis Creation

2. African POVs: The Europeans

4. Africa 1500 – 1600s
Songhai fading in power as trade moved to the coast & gunpowder utilized in N. Africa
Trade on W. African coast encourages state-creation & arms trade
Benin
Ruled by a powerful Oba
State-run bronze working industry
Did not convert to Christianity
Kongo
On Western coast
Converted to Christianity
Tried to control emerging slave trade (were unsuccessful long term)

5. Edo People (Anonymous)
16th – 17th century
Benin Kingdom. Nigeria
Salt Cellar, Ivory Late 15th- early 16th century, Benin Kingdom. Nigeria.
Salt Cellar, Ivory
Edo People (Anonymous)

6. Oba Stone Relief 13th-15th centuries, Benin Kingdom. Nigeria.

7. Bronze Long House Box – Lost Wax-Method
Benin, Nigeria
17th Century
Depicts elaborate palace entrance of Benin Kingdom. Monumental bronze birds are mounted on roof, while two Portuguese soldiers metaphorically stand on top of the entrance’s roof.

8. Excerpt of Letters from Manicongo Afonzo to the King of Portugal, (1526?)
“Many of our people desirous of wares of your kingdom seize many of our people, free men and they often kidnap even noblemen and take them to be sold to the white men who are in our kingdom . . .
To avoid such a great evil we passed a law so that any white man should first inform three of our noblemen and officials of our court who should investigate if the mentioned goods are captives or free men . . .”

9. Manicongo Afonzo to the King of Portugal, July 6, 1526
“Your highness should know how our Kingdom is being lost Since this is caused by the excessive freedom given by your agents and officials to the men and merchants who are allowed to come to this Kingdom to set up shops with goods and many things which have been prohibited by us . . .
It was with these things that we had [our vassals] content and subjected under our vassalage and jurisdiction, so it is doing a great harm not only to the service of God, but the security and peace of our Kingdoms and State as well.
So great, Sir, [due to] the corruption and [lawlessness] our country is being completely depopulated . . .”

10. European POVs: The Africans

11. #1 Bust of Manuel ne Vunda (Antonio Manuel)
by Italian artist, F. Caporale
Marble
1608
Rome
Ambassador from the King of the Kongo to the Pope.

12. #2 “The City of Benin” By O. Dapper Amsterdam, Netherlands 1687
Oba procession. Benin Palace depicted in background.

13. “Homage of the Portuguese ambassadors to the King of Kongo in 1491”#1
“Homage of the Portuguese ambassadors to the King of Kongo in 1491”
By F. Pigafetta
1598
Frankfurt, Germany

14. er #2 “Tale of the Congo Kingdom” F. Pigafetta 1591 Rome
African dress from the point of view of an European artist.

15. Thesis Creation
Based on previous information and information gathered from today’s sources/ discussion, create a thesis statement for the following prompt.
Prompt: Compare and contrast African and European perspectives of each other between the 13th-17th centuries in West Africa.
Prepare to share.