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Published byAlfred Hawkins Modified over 9 years ago
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Africa A brief history
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Bantu Migrations 1/3 of Africans speak a Bantu language 500-1500 AD, migrated out of western Africa Moved east and south Farmers and herders Adapted to climates and ecosystems
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African Culture Farmers – yams, bananas, slash and burn Villages of related people with a common ancestor Matrilineal and Patrilineal tribes Government – shared power, elders reach decisions by consensus, collected taxes, chief, soldiers Polytheistic, believed forces of nature had divine spirits, performed rituals and ceremonies, believed ancestor spirits could help them
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Kingdoms of the North Egyptian – Nile Nubian or Kush – Sudan and upper Nile, traders, imitated Egyptian architecture Phoenicians – traders, Carthage Romans – 146BC – 430AD Defeated Carthage, roads, dams, aqueducts, cities, Christianity, Latin Arabs – 600s, Islam, Arabic, mosques, libraries, trade
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West African Kingdoms Ghana – Niger and Senegal, gold-salt trade, “land of gold,” Muslim Mali –Timbuktu, Mansa Musa, Islam, leading center of learning, Songhai – 1450- 1586, Niger River, eclipsed Mali
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Kano people lived in Hausa, pop. 30,000, Arabic writing system, Muslim, leatherworkers, artisans, many rulers were women Benin – forest people on the Guinea coast, traded pepper, ivory, and slaves to their neighbors, elaborate avenues, tidy homes, great palace, known for bronze statues
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East African Kingdoms Ethiopia – Christian and Jewish religions unified the tribes, Kings were descended from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Axum – 900BC – 600AD Red Sea and Nile, traded with Arabia, India, and the Mediterranean, exports: ivory, hides, and rhino horn, imports: linen, brass, copper, iron tools, wine, olive oil, Christianity, spices, iron, stones, cotton
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South African Kingdoms Zimbabwe – Limpopo River, walls, palace, cone shaped towers, prosperous, Bantu people, 900- 1500, farmers, traded with India and China, manufactured jewelry and iron tools, weavers of cotton cloth. Over farming, civil war, and Declining trade weakened Zimbabwe.
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Zulu (1800s), Shaka Zulu – their great warrior who united tribes into one kingdom
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Dutch built Cape Town in 1652, Farmers were called Boers. British took control of Cape Town in the 1800s and the fleeing Boers moved into Zulu territory and war broke out. Zulu’s defeated by superior technology.
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Europeans arrive 1400s Portuguese ships explore coast of West Africa, Dutch, English, and French followed Muskets, tools, and cloth were brought to Africa Gold, ivory, hides, and slaves were taken out
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1500s Slave Trade across the Atlantic began to provide labor to tobacco and sugar plantations in the west Most slaves went to Caribbean and South America Africans captured the slaves, brought them to the coast of Africa to trade to Europeans
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Slave Trade 11 million Africans send to the Americas 2 million died Ships were called ‘floating coffins’
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Triangular Trade Europe Americas Africa Textiles Metalwork Rum Tobacco Weapons Gun powder Tobacco Molasses Sugar Slaves – Middle Passage
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1800s- Imperialism Slavery outlawed in the Americas European countries moved into the interior of Africa and established colonies Wanted raw materials and markets Ruled Africans without their consent Build up infrastructure Exploited Africans and their continent until the 1960s, when countries were given their independence.
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Berlin Conference 1884 European countries were grabbing African lands so fast, they were in conflict over several areas. Instead of fighting a war over lands, representatives from European countries met in Berlin and drew the political map of Africa. Some tribes were divided and others who were long-time enemies were pit in the same country.
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Europeans ruled African countries as colonies until the 1950s and 60s. When Africa countries got their independence, many had problems that began as a result of the colonial era.
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Problems in Africa Today? Poverty Disease Illiteracy Civil Wars Corruption
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