Content: 2nd Semester (Africa - Latin America)
Escarpment
Reason for many of Africa’s lakes
Valley created by the convergence of tectonic plates
Great Rift Valley
Largest Escarpment in Africa, Eastern Coast of Africa
Olduvai Gorge located here
Benguela current
Affects the Western coast of Southern Africa
Specifically the climate
Makes the climate very dry as the current is very cold
As a result there is a coastal desert in southwest Africa
tribal marks
Markings on the faces of tribes people
Mostly practiced in the Yoruba group
Showed the social class/standing and tribal membership
Nilotic peoples
People dependent on the Nile
Live in the ‘horn’ of Africa
Nok culture (Jos Plateau)
Developed in the Jos Plateau
Nigeria
Dependent on Iron work
Bantu language group
Advanced trade, traded with the North and the Mediterranean and other surrounding areas
“Sudan”
Region in West Africa where kingdoms like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were developed
Developed around Niger and Senegal rivers
Flourished due to the Trans-saharan trade
Very rich in resources
Strong military and central government
Middlemen
Offered protection to pass their land and travel to the North
Introduced Islam in a large scale way
Kush
Southern part of the Nile
One of Africa’s first civilizations was developed here
Agriculture was practiced
Limited information about this place
Luxury for upper class and merchants in middle class
Olduvai Gorge
In great rift valley
Human life form discovered here in 1959 dating back 1.75 million years
Archaeological site in Tanzania
Axum (Aksum)
Present day Ethiopia
Oldest civilization on Earth
Origin story connects to King Solomon
Adjacent to the Red Sea
Christian Kingdom
Traders, became very wealthy
Trans-Saharan trade
Vast network of trade throughout the North, Saharan, and Nok parts of Africa
Various goods were exchanged and this process also led to the exchange of cultural ideas
Sudanic kingdoms (mainly Ghana) controlled this
Ghana
Sudanic Kingdom
Had lots of good resources like gold
Allowing them to participate a lot and earn profit in the trade
Developed on the Niger river
Tributes were paid to this kingdom
Controlled the gold flow
Mali
Replaced Ghana
In its greatest stage
Expanded a lot
Cities were the main cities of wealth
Many cities created at this time are still around
Grew many crops
Mansa Musa ruled during this time
Administrative and religious
Controlled the taxes
Wealthiest empire in african history
Songhai
Purely islamic kingdom
Leaders used islam to unify the kingdom
Expanded far to the East
About the size of US and largest empire in African history
Al-Bakri
Arab historian who detailed events and the history of Ghana
From the Arab perspective
Sundiata
Ruled Mali
Wealthy ruler
Greatly expanded
Captured some gold mines in South Africa
Mansa Musa
One of the most wealthy and powerful leaders
Very religious, encouraged and promoted the creation of mosques and the study of Islam
Adopted Islam as the imperial faith
Proven by Hajj that he performed
Kilwa, Mogadishu,etc
Along the coast, important city-states that developed
Vast trading ports
Many gold deposits
Traded all sorts of goods
Initially Bantu Speakers
Great Zimbabwe
Major civilization
Not much known
Believed to speak Shona a subdivision of Bantu
Showed sophistication and knowledge of technology through their houses which were built of stone
Traded, advanced agriculture,
British most likely forced them into a decline
Swahili
Major language group
Mix of Bantu and Arabic
Mainly spoken on eastern Africa
Khosian (“click”)
Another major language group
Spoken through clicking sounds
Spoken in South Africa
Middle Passage
Movement of Africans across the Atlantic
Were tightly packed in a ship for an extended period of time
Inhumanely treated and terrible conditions
Disease was the main cause of death for enslaved people
Senegambia
Major source of enslaved people
As well as Sierra Leone
Large source were the bights
Looks like a bite was taken out of Africa
Ashanti and Yoruba tribes would capture and enslave and sell people
“Gold Coast”
Large area in Ghana where many slaves were taken
Dahomey (Togo and Benin) “Slave Coast”
Major area in Africa where slaves were taken from
factory forts
Produced enslaved people
Slaves were held here and so when slave sellers from other places came they would just take those being held in these forts
More efficient as they could fill their ship in just one trip
shore method
Main way that African people were taken from Africa
Enslaved were brought by other Africans
Europeans did not venture into Africa, they remained on the coast
Saved financial resources, the more you take the more that will probably live
triangle trade
System by which africans were brought to the Americas/New World
Raw materials would be harvested by the slaves and taken to Europe and Europe would supply Africa with guns
“Scramble for Africa”
1885
An imperialist race
Where several european countries, ex: France, Britain, etc. began to colonize and take over Africa
They realized how many natural resources were abundant in this continent
Additionally, it gave them a labor force for their industries
Aside from this, these colonies also aided the countries during the world wars
Missionaries
When slavery began to expand to East Africa, they arrived to stop the spread of slavery and convert as many people to Christianity
Played a major role in convincing powers to colonize areas to better facilitate conversion to Christianity
trading companies
Like the Dutch East India Company and British East India Company
Established in Europe to facilitate trade in Africa
They were created due to the possibility of financial risk which was distributed among shareholders
Indirect rule
Where the colonizing countries imposed their rules through local leadership, used often in SSA
Direct Rule
Where the colonizing country sent many people from the colonizing country to the colony to directly impose their rule
Assimilation
Where the colonizers forced the members of the colony to conform to their rules, language, and culture
This was seen with Algeria as France was trying to create a ‘second’ France here
“White Man’s Burden”
Idea enforcing that the white people were superior in comparison to others
It was the White man’s duty, as they were more civilized and educated, to colonize and bring ideas of civilization to these various countries.
Social Darwinism
Ideology enforcing that some people were just more fit to survive than others
Led to enforce the ideology of the White Man’s burden
Berlin Conference, 1884
No African nations present
Several nations present (Europeans)
Where countries discussed colonization of Africa
Dutch East India Co, 1652
Joint stock, trading company
Reached South Africa in 1652
Originally to establish a refreshment port on their way to another area
The Mediterranean climate was very appealing and then the realization that there were many natural resources
Afrikaners
People mainly of Dutch ancestry, but also connections to the French Huguenotes
Khoikhoi
The native group already living in the Cape Colony
They spoke Khoisan
Boers
Afrikaners who participated in the Great Trek
Were farmers and pastoralists (relating to cattle)
Afrikaans
Mix of Khoisan and Afrikaans
“Cape Colony”
Colony established by the Dutch
British eventually came to take possession of the colony
Mediterranean climate and lots of grazing land for pastoralists and good land for farmers
Xhosa
Cultural Group
Boers encountered them as they moved inward of the Cape Colony
9 wars were fought over a century over the use of grazing land
Great Trek (1835-46)
Movement of the Boers from South Africa, moving up North to escape the British
They moved into the Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Natal
United the Boers
Battle of Blood River occurred
Voortrekkers
Boers that participated in the Great Trek
Battle of Blood River (1838)
Boers vs Zulu, Boers at a disadvantage but still won
British began to move inland, so Boers were pushed bank
Battle took place in Natal which has a large Zulu population
Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902)
Boers vs British
As gold and silver were found in the North, this attracted the colonizing power even more
The British decided they wanted to control all of South Africa
Also because the Boers practiced slavery and British outlawed it in the 1830s, it created tension
It was a very ugly war
Using guerrilla tactics
Boers accepted defeat and Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Natal were now under British possession
Boers were still living in these areas though
Lord Kitchener
British military leader
Used extremely brutal tactics
Created concentration camps
Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal
States that the Boers fled to during the Great Trek
British gained control of these areas after Anglo Boer War
Gained independence in 1910
Mines and Work Act (1911)
Where Bantus would only be given menial tasks and very low jobs
Limited to mainly digging minerals for white people
Native Land Act (1913)
Restricted blacks to only purchase certain plots of land, typically wasn’t very good land
Blacks were taken out of their home for an extended period of time to work as miners in a different area
Eventually deprived of all political power
African National Congress (ANC)
Formed in 1912
First just a symbolic resistance movement
Split in 1959 to create Pan African Conference
The split led to the Sharpeville Massacre
This lead to ANC getting banned
It went underground and led to the start of the black consciousness movement
Relegalized in the 1980s
National Party (1948)
Dominated by the Afrikaners
Strictly enforced and wanted Apartheid rule
Gained power in 1948
Immediately began to pass discriminatory legislature beginning to restrict the rights of the black people
Aimed to deepen Apartheid and get rid of any British influence
Unlike other African countries, after WW2 this country became further oppressed but it wasn’t under foreign rule
Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo
Began to resist as National Party began to pass harsher and harsher laws
Initially resisted through nonviolent protests like boycotts
1952 - urged Africans to disregard Apartheid rule
Defiance campaign
Nelson Mandela
Arrested, later became PM
Oliver Tambo
Arrested but then released at the end of Apartheid rule
Sharpeville Massacre, 1960
69 deaths
Due to the split between ANC and PAC
PAC led a peaceful protest against the pass system, where they did not wear their passes
A large group went to the police and they opened fire on them
ANC and PAC was banned after this
black consciousness movement
Created by Steven Biko
Attempted to contribute to the growing sense of black identity
Sparked by the banning of ANC and PAC
Wanted to develop a positive image for Africans and allow them to decide their own future
Led to Soweto
Soweto, 1976
Youth led protests
Students revolted against the teaching of Afrikaans and they would rather be taught the native languages
Many died, protests lasted around a year
Brought international attention to this issue
Pieter Botha
Warned white Africans that they needed to adapt or die if they did not respect the black Africans
Supported reform but not total political rights
Frederick deKlerk
Politician, president of SA
Dismantled Apartheid
Legalized ANC
Released Mandela
Bantustans
Reservation like areas where the Bantus were forced to move to
economic sanctions
Imposed by the world as they realized that the Apartheid government and treatment of the indigenous groups was very inhumane
This pressured them to stop
Mesoamerica
begins in the southern part of North America and extends to most of Central America
most well-known Mesoamerican cultures are the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Mixtec, and Aztec
Area around modern day Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula. Maize was grown there as early as 5000 BCE. Cacao was prized in this area. Mayan and Aztec cultures grew there.
Yucatan Peninsula
separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea
Adjacent to Belize and Guatemala
Area of modern-day Mexico including modern day Mexico. Mayan Civilization arose near this area. As the population of the Mayan civilization grew, more people moved to the North, into this area.
Maize
Type of corn grown in Mesoamerica. It was grown there as early as 5000 BCE.
Maya
This civilization arose in the area south of the Yucatan peninsula.
Land had been cultivated.
The urban development of this civilization’s cities had clear class divisions.
This civilization had hieroglyphs, and they used them to create a calendar.
Records were kept, but many were destroyed by the Spanish after their arrival.
Some records were kept on stone, which are the only surviving ones today.
They also discovered complex patterns in the stars.
Technologically advanced, kings were very powerful and rich
Society’s wealth grew, leading to a middle class made up of traders and artisans
The majority of the population was agricultural, working on chinampas. There were clear gender divisions in society. Noblewomen did have some limited roles in politics and religion. The society of this civilization was polytheistic, and gods were ranked in order of importance.
Cities were built around ceremonial pyramids, a shrine to the gods
Temples and palaces were near the pyramids. Sacred ball courts were also near the pyramids.
As the population grew, more people moved to the North
Overcrowding forced farmers to shift from slash-and-burn agriculture to settled agriculture
Tikal
Mayan urban center
was one of the biggest urban centers, and may have had over 100,000 inhabitants.
Stelae
Stone monuments constructed by the Mayans dedicated to kings. The Mayan people could pray at these monuments to bless the kings.
Cacao
Significant plant in Mayan civilization. Mesoamerica was a source of these plants, prized as a beverage for the upper class. Cocoa beans from these plants were often used as currency.
bajos (similar to chinampas)
Raised fields used in Mayan civilization for growing crops in the swamplands of Mesoamerica. They were similar to the chinampas of the Aztec kingdom.