AP African American Studies Unit 1 Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards for AP African American Studies Unit 1, covering Topics 1.1 through 1.11 and source analysis strategies.

African American Studies

An interdisciplinary field analyzing the history, culture, and contributions of people of African descent, combining scholarly rigor with contemporary Black freedom struggles.

Black Campus Movement (1965–1972)

A movement during which hundreds of thousands of Black students led protests at predominantly white institutions demanding Black studies courses and support for Black faculty and students.

Bantu Expansion (1500 BCE – 500 CE)

A continent-wide migration triggered by technological and agricultural innovations in West and Central Africa that spread Bantu languages and farming practices across Africa.

Aksumite Empire

An ancient East African empire (100 BCE) located in present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia that developed the Ge'ez script, minted currency, and became the first African society to adopt Christianity under King Ezana.

Ge'ez

An ancient written script developed by the Aksumite Empire in East Africa.

King Ezana

The ruler under whom the Aksumite Empire became the first African society to adopt Christianity independently of colonial influence.

Nok Society

The earliest ironworking society in West Africa (500 BCE, present-day Nigeria), representing the ancient evidence of a complex, settled sub-Saharan society known for terracotta figures.

Mali Empire

A 13th- to 17th-century Sahelian empire that grew wealthy from gold trade routes and became a hub for learning and Islam under leaders like Mansa Musa.

Mansa Musa

Ruler of the Mali Empire whose immense gold wealth and 1324 hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) brought European and Mediterranean trade attention to West Africa.

Songhai Empire

The largest and last of the major Sudanic empires (15th–16th centuries), which declined as Portuguese exploration shifted trade from trans-Saharan routes to the Atlantic coast.

Timbuktu

A major hub in Mali for the book trade and higher education, housing universities and attracting astronomers, mathematicians, and jurists.

Griots

Prestigious oral historians, storytellers, and musicians who preserve and pass down a community's history, lineage, and cultural practices across generations.

Religious Syncretism

The practice of blending introduced religious traditions (such as Islam or Catholicism) with Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices.

Great Zimbabwe

A 12th- to 15th-century South African kingdom established by the Shona people, famous for its gold wealth and massive stone architecture like the Great Enclosure.

Swahili Coast

A series of coastal city-states stretching from Somalia to Mozambique united by Islam and the Swahili language, linking Africa's interior with Indian Ocean trade.

Afonso I (Nzinga Mbemba)

The Christian ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo who wrote a letter in 1526 to Portuguese King João III protesting the unchecked kidnapping and enslavement of his subjects.

Queen Idia

The first iyoba (queen mother) and political advisor of the late 15th-century Benin Kingdom, who relied on spiritual power and medicinal knowledge for military victories.

Queen Njinga

The 17th-century ruler of Ndongo-Matamba who fought a 30-year guerilla war against Portuguese rule and provided sanctuary to individuals escaping enslavement.

Iyoba

The title for the queen mother in the Benin Kingdom, serving as a vital political advisor and symbol of leadership.

São Tomé and Cabo Verde

Atlantic islands colonized by the Portuguese in the mid-15th century that established plantation agriculture using enslaved African labor, serving as the prototype for American plantation slavery.

Chafariz d’El-Rey

A 1570s painting of a Lisbon square depicting free and enslaved Africans (including an African knight and noblemen), serving as visual proof of a Global Africa before the transatlantic slave trade height.

ACE Strategy

A method for answering Short Answer FRQs consisting of (A) Answer the prompt directly, (C) Cite specific evidence, and (E) Explain how the evidence supports the answer.