1. Africa – Focusing On The Main Ideas
Mrs. Tucker
7th Grade World History/Honors
Cobalt Institute of Math and Science

2. Africa – Focusing on the Main Ideas
Africa has a vast and varied landscape made up of shifting sand dunes, rain, forests, sweeping, savannas, large deserts, and coastal plains.
African Empires grew rich from trading gold and salt.
Traditional African religions shared certain beliefs and provided a guide for living together. They believed in a single creator and honored the spirits of their ancestors.
Islam played an important role in medieval Africa, but long-held African beliefs and customs still remained strong.
The growth of West African empires led to the growth of centralized governments ruled by kings.
Despite Africa’s great size, its societies shared many common traits.
The African slave trade changed greatly when Muslims and Europeans began taking captives from the continent.
Enslaved Africans developed rich cultures that influenced many other cultures, including our own.
Many Africans south of the Sahara lived in small villages. Family was very important, and women had fewer rights than men.
As enslaved Africans were taken to new areas, African culture, including art, music, and story-telling, spread around the world.