AP African American Studies Unit 1

Origins of the African Diaspora

The Aproach to AP AAS

• Interdisciplinary, relating to more than one branch of knowledge

• Brings in history, sociology, art, culture, geography and literature

• Analyzes the contributions of AAs in America and the African Diaspora

• Helps to understand the modern-day issues black people face

African Diaspora

The movement and dispersal of groups of people from their place of origin to new locations

How African American Studies emerged

• From black artistic, intellectual and political events

• Heightened throughout the Civil RIghts Movement (more specifically the Black Power Movement)  

Black Power Movement

• Focused on racial pride, self-determination and self-defense

• Many black college students entered white colleges for the first time in history

Black Campus Movement (1965-1972)

• Hundreds of thousands of Black, Latino, Asian and white supporters

• Demanded greater opportunities for Black Studies Programs

• Demanded more support for Black students, faculty and administrators  

First 4-year college to establish a Black studies department

San Francisco State College

Africa

• The birthplace of humanity, with a long, complex, and heavily researched history

• Second largest continet

Common misconceptions

• Africa is undocumented/unknowable

• African-American history is simple

• African-American history begins in 1500 (the slave trade)

African Climate Zones

1. Desert (Sahara)

2. Semiarid (Sahel)

3. Savannah Grasslands

4. Tropical Rainforest

5. Mediterranean zones

Varied climate zones caused/facilitated

Diverse trade opportunities

Trade in Desert/Semi-Arid Areas

Nomads searching for food, water, and trading salts

Trade in the Sahel

Traded live stock

Trade in the Savannah Grasslands

Grew grain & crops

Trade in the Tropical Rainforest

Grew yams, kola nuts, and traded gold

African Bodies of Water

• 2 seas (Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea)

• 2 Oceans (Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean)

• 5 Major Rivers

Major African Rivers

• NIger River

• Congo RIver

• Zambezi River

• Orange River

• Nile RIver

Role of the proximity of water

Supported growth of early societies and global connections

Population Centers in the Sahel and Savannah

• Regions supported pop. growth

  •  Major water routes supported travel and trade

  • Fertile land supported agriculture and the domestication of animals

  • Linked northern and tropical Africa

Bantu Expansion

• Series of migrations caused by population growth in Western and Central Africa throughout the continent from 1500 BCE to 500 CE

• One Movement Southward/Eastward

• One movement Westward

Causes of Bantu population growth

• Technological innovations

  • Tools and Weapons

  • Ironworking

• Agricultural innovations

  • Cultivating bananas, yams and cereals

  • Iron tools made farming easier

Egypt

• One of the world’s earliest complex, large-scale societies

• Emerged along the Nile River around 3100 BCE (ancient era)

• At its height, controlled from Syria to Sudan

What made Egypt Complex

• Urban Centers

• Social Hierarchies

• Writing system (Hieroglyphics)

• Religion

• Pyramids

• Advanced trade network

Nubia/Kush

• One of the world’s earliest complex, large-scale societies

• Emerged along the Nile River around 3000 BCE (ancient era) in present-day Egypt and Sudan

Kush/Nubia writing system

The Meroitic Script was a writing system Developed in the major city of Meroe in Nubia/Kush

Kush and Egypt’s Relationship

• Kush was the source of Egypt’s gold and luxury trade items

• Caused conflict —> Nubia invaded + defeated Egypt (750 BCE)

  • Established the 25th dynasty of the Black Pharaohs, who ruled Egypt for a century

Aksum

• Emerged in eastern Africa (Eritrea and Ethiopia) in 100 BCE

• Its Strategic location contributed to the rise and expansion 

  • Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, connections to the Roman Empire/India

    • Access to trade networks

Aksum writing system

• Developed its own script: Ge’ez

• Still used as main language in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

First African Society to Adopt Christianity

• Aksum, under leadership of King Ezana

• Without outside influence of colonialism/transatlantic slave trade

Nok

• Emerged around 500 BCE in present-day Nigeria (Sub-Saharan/West Africa)

• Archaeological research (1940s) shows that Nok society may be ancestors of later societies (1100+ CE) Ife Yoruba & Benin cultures

  • Shows that African history is long and complex

Why was the Nok Complex

• Early ironworking society

• Pottery

• Naturalistic terracotta sculptures of animals and people

• Unique hairstyles and jewelry

• Stone instruments

African Americans used ancient Africa in order to

• Counter racist stereotypes

  • Stereotypes that African societies had no government or culture

• This formed the basis of African American studies courses

Reaserch on Africa’s history

• Became the basis for African Independence in the mid 1900s

  • 1952: Egypt underwent a revolution overthrowing British Rule

Sudanic/Sahelian Empires

• Refers to 3 powerful empires: Ghana, Mali and Songhai

• F;punished between 600-1500 CE

• From Senegambia to present-day Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria

• Renowned for gold mines

• Enslaved people in North America came from West Africa and West Central Africa

Sudanic Empires role of location

• Its strategic location gave access to trade routes

• Connected trade from Sahra to Sub-Saharan Africa

• Led to the spread of Islam and expansion in West Africa

Ghana

• Flourished from 300-1200 CE

• Present day Mauritania and Mali

• Not in present day Ghana

• Ironworking society

• Strong government and army

Trade in Ghana

• Traders from North Africa brought Islam

• Became rich by controlling trade routes

• Declined due to lost access of trade routes/growth of other empires

Mali

• Flourished from 1200-1600 CE

• Present-day Mali Mauritania, Senegal 

• 1312-1337: Mali was ruled by Mansa Musa (Wealthy and influential) 

Mansa Musa

• Ruler of Mali 

• Established empire as a center for trade, learning, and cultural exchange

• Extended power over neighboring groups

  • Leaders crossbred horses from North Africa to form a stronger calvar y

  • Purchased steel weapons from North Africa/Islamic World

Mansa Musa’s Hajj

• Hajj (h-ehj): Holy Islamic pilgrimage to the city of Mecca

• Put Mali on the map as a powerful empire

  • Intrigued mapmakers and merchants in Europe and the Middle east to trade manufactured goods for gold

Catalan Atlas

• Details the wealth/influence of Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire

• Perspective of a cartographer from Spain

• Mansa Musa is depicted with a gold crown and orb

• Conveys the influence of Islam of West Afican societies and the function of Mali as a center for trade and cultural exchange

Songahi

• Flourished from 1400-1500 CE

• Last and largest of the Sudanic Empires

• Strong, centralized, autocratic government

• Developed unified cities

• Promoted Islamic learning

Trade in Songhai

• Thrived through trans-Saharan trade

• Portuguese began exploring and trading along Africa’s West Coast

• Trade shifted to Atlantic Ocean

  • Fewer merchants used desert routes Songhai Controlled

  • Hurt Songhai economy and led to decline of the empire

West African Trading cities

• Became centers of learning around the 15th and 16th century

Timbuktu (Mali)

• Traded books

• Universities

• Huge learning community

• Drew astronomers, mathematicians, architects and jurists

Griots

• Prestigious historians, storytellers, and musicians

• Maintained shared community history, traditions, and cultural practices

• Preserved knowledge of community’s births, deaths and marriages

• Included both women and men

Sunjata Story

• Mande Griots have passed down oral traditions like Epic of Sundiata (the Lion Prince)

  • Mande = ethnic/lingusitc group in West Africa

Religious Syncretism

Blending of religion to create a new blended belief system

Cosmologies

Big ideas about a culture/how the universe works

What enslaved Africans brought to the Americas

• Blended spiritual practices with Christianity and Islam to The America

  • 1/4th of enslaved Africans were from Christianity

  • 1/4th of enslaved Africans were from Islam

Spiritual Practices in the Americans can be traced back to

• West/West Central Africa

• Veneration of ancestors

• Divination

• Healing practices

• Collective singing and dancing

• Louisiana Voodoo

• Osian del Monte

  • Afro-Cuban performance group

Used by enslaved Africans for strength

• Religious syncretism

• Before the slave revolts for strength

The Swahili Coast

• Stretches from Somalia to Mozambique

• Connected Africa to Arab, Persian, Indian and Chinese traders

• Connected by shared language (Swahili) and religion (Islam)

• Strength of trade garnered attention of Portugal

  • Invaded major city-states

  • Established settlements in 1500s to control Indian Ocean trade

Christianity in the Kongo

• King Nzinga a Nkuwu and his son Nzinga Mbemba converted the kingdom to the Kongo to Roman Catholicism

  • Strengthened trade with Portugal

    • Kongo became wealthier

    • Primary goods: Ivory, salt, copper, textiles

• Christianity gained mass acceptance

• African Catholicism blended elements of Christianity with local cultural traditions

• Without foreign control

Portugal and the slave trade

• King of Portugal demanded access to trade of enslaved people in exchange for military assistance

  • Kongo nobles joined the slave trade early on, but couldn’t control its scale over time

Largest source of enslaved people

Kongo and general West Central African region

Chrisitanity in Modern Kongo

• 1/4th of enslaved Africans transported to the US came from West Central Africa

• West Central Africans were Christian before arrival to the Americas

• Before the slave trade, people in the Kongo would name children after saints or according to the day they were born

  • Christian names have African origins (Juan, Joao, John)

  • Ideas and practices have endured

Role of Women

• Composed of family groups held together by extended kinship ties

  • Formed the basis for political alliances

• Women played many roles

  • Spiritual leaders

  • Political advisors

  • Market traders

  • Educators

  • Agriculutralists 

Queen Idia (Benin)

• Late 1400s: First Queen Mother in Benin (present day Nigeria)

• Political advisor to her son, the King

• Led armies into battle

  • Igala-Benin War (1515-1516) 

  • Relied on spiritual power and medicinal knowledge for victories 

Queen Njinga (Ndongo-Matamba)

• Early 1600s: Queen of the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba (present-day Angola)

• Led armies into battle

• Engaged in 30 years of guerrilla warfare against Portugal to maintain sovereignty and control

• Participated in the slave trade for wealth/political power

• Grew Matamba’s army by sheltering escapees from Portuguese slavery

Queen Idia’s Legacy

• Iconic symbol of Black women’s Leadership throughout African diaspora

• 1977: The Ivory mask was adopted as the symbol of FESTAC

Queen Njinga Legacy

• Iconic symbol of skilled political and military leadership

• Strength/power ushered in nearly 100 years of women rulers in Matamba

Transatlantic Slave Trade

• Forced movement of millions of Africans across the Atlantic ocean to the Americas

• Were enslaved and forced to work

  • Mainly on plantations growing sugar, tobacco, cotton and other cash crops

What lead to the Transatlatic Slave Trade

• Late 1400: West African Kingdoms Traded with Portugal for gold, goods, and enslaved people

  • Replaced older trans-saharan routes

• African kingdoms gained more wealth and political power

  • Especially through slavery which already existed in hierarchical West African societies

Trade increased what populations where?

• Trade increased amount of:

  • Europeans in West Africa

  • Sub-Saharan Africans in Iberian port cities like Lisbon and Seville 

African elites, ambassadors, children of rulers traveled where?

They traveled to port cities for diplomatic, educational, and Religious reasons

Free and enslaved Africans in port cities jobs

• Domestic laborers

• Boatmen

• Guards

• Entertainers

• Vendors

• Knights

Slaved-based Economies 

• Mid 1400s: Portuguese colonized the Atlantic islands of Cabo Verde and São Tomé

  • Established cotton, indigo, and sugar plantations using slave labor
    

• 1500s: 50,000 enslaved Africans transported to work on Portuguese-colonized Atlantic islands and in Europe

  • Plantations became a model for slave-based economies in Americas