AP African American Studies - Units 1.1 - 1.9

3500 BCE - 1100 CE

3500 BCE - 1100 CE

The Bantu Expansion took place between…

The Bantu Expansion

The mass migration of Bantu-speaking peoples from West Africa to East and South Africa over thousands of years, spreading their language and customs and mixing with the Indigenous people of East/South Africa; they brought technologies like ironworking and agriculture with them. Today 30% of African people have Bantu roots, with the Bantu people today encompassing 400+ ethnic groups and 500+ languages

Reclassified as Caucasian

Ancient Egyptians were ______ in the 19th century by Euro-American scholars in response to their society being used as an argument by abolitionists for the humanity and accomplishments of Black people

Menes

The first pharaoh, united Upper and Lower Egypt in 3150 BCE

3100 BCE - 332 BCE

Timeline of Ancient Egypt, from rise to fall

Old Kingdom

First era of Egypt; pyramid-builders, rise of the Empire, when Egypt first unified

Middle Kingdom

Second era of Egypt; city-states with local rulers, but with the pharaoh in charge; the Hyksos of West Africa invade and conquer many local rulers, establish control of most of Lower Egypt

New Kingdom

Last era of Egypt; begins in 1570 BCE when Pharaoh Ahmose I drives out the Hyksos, founds the 18th dynasty; Egypt expands into Africa and SW Asia; era ends with Egypt conquered by Alexander The Great in 332 BCE and becoming a province of Rome in 30 BCE

3000 BCE - 350 CE

Timeline of the Kushite Empire, from rise to falling to the Aksum Empire

Nubia

Just South of Egypt, first settled in 8000 BCE. Overshadowed by Egypt and less powerful than them, but still rich in gold, copper, trade, and agriculture. Sometimes traded with Egypt, sometimes plundered it, sometimes plundered by it. The Kushite Empire began in Nubia

750 BCE - 670 BCE

Kushite rule over egypt timeline; began with the collapse of the New Kingdom when the Kushites invaded Egypt and took over, but were kicked out by the Assyrians

Aksum Empire

Empire located in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, converted to Christianity in the early-to-mid 300s and created the written language Ge’ez, which is still used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Trading empire

150 BCE - 960 CE

Timeline of Aksum Empire, from rise to collapse

Nok People

Ancient people from Nigeria, lived around 500 BCE. Known for unique, stylized terracotta sculptures and early discovery of ironworking

First Wave of Bantu Expansion

Possibly driven by climate change in the Sahara from the end of the last Ice Age, spread to the Congo forest region, South through the Great Lakes and on to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania

Second Wave of Bantu Expansion

Migration through central West Africa, through Gabon, the DRC, and Angola, eventually ending in South Africa. Possibly traveled south along the Congo River

Effects of the Bantu Expansion

Bantu languages spread throughout all of sub-Saharan Africa, as did ironworking and agriculture. Bantu migrants combined their cultures with those of Indigenous foragers, herders, and hunter-gatherers. Now 400+ ethnic groups and 500+ languages have ties to the Bantu people

Mediterranean

Climate with tropical weather, warm and mild, home to shrubland, ideal climate for growing fruits and nuts

Desert

Mostly the Sahara, very dry and hot, composed of sand dunes, salt flats, and bare rock, with occasional oases

Sahel

Sub-desert, still very dry but with more vegetation; semi-arid, with grasslands and savannahs. Extends across Northern Africa in a belt

Savanna

Mixed woodland-grassland climate, pretty dry, with plenty of fauna, including large mammals like elephants, giraffes, and lions

Woodland

Tree-heavy space, more south than the Savannah, wetter than the savannah but drier than the rainforest

Tropical Rainforest

Centered mainly around the Congolese River Basin and surrounding areas; very wet, tropical forest with extremely high biodiversity; threatened by gold mining

Trans-Saharan Trade

Nations from the Mediterranean, Europe, Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula moved across the Sahara Desert to trade with gold-rich West and South African kingdoms, often trading salt for gold

Ghana Empire

One of the first recorded West African states, first of the Sudanistic Empires, located in modern-day Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal (not in Ghana). Gained power through the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes, and was extremely rich in gold. Exports included salt, gold, copper, ivory, and enslaved people (who were usually POWs)

830 CE - 1230 CE

Timeline of Ghana Empire, from rise to fall— was conquered by the Sosso under Soumaoro

Mali Empire

Second Sudanistic empire, rose after Ghana. First ruler was Sundiata Keita, whose life story was the inspiration for the Lion King. Expanded their lands past the previous borders of Ghana under Keita, and captured the cities of Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne, plus the salt mines of Taghaza. Was a confederation of nigh-autonomous states rather than an absolute monarchy. Fell in 1468 after infighting among the sons of Mansa Musa II.

Sundiata Keita

Born the 12th son of Nare Maghan, king of Kangaba. His father and 11 brothers were killed by the king of Mali, Soumaoro. Was initially disabled but gained the ability to walk through willpower. Was exiled, but gathered an army of Malinke people in exile and defeated Soumaoro in the battle of Kirina in 1235. While ruler of the Mali empire, was not an absolute monarch, but ruled the empire as a collection of nigh-autonomous states. He ruled alongside a common court and the Great Gbara Assembly, which was basically a congress. He helped to bridge the gap between the Muslim elite and the working class people of Indigenous religions

Mansa Musa I

Ninth Mansa of Mali who reigned from 1312-1337. Richest man in history. Became famous in Europe and SWANA region during his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, due to his bringing 1200 servants, 80 camels, and two metric tons of gold. He gave away so much gold on his pilgrimage that it crashed the economy TWICE. On his way back from the pilgrimage, he brought Islamic scholars, architects, and bureaucrats to Mali, who then helped create new universities and mosques in Timbuktu.

1235 - 1468 CE

Timeline of Mali Empire, from rise to collapse via infighting

Songhai Empire

The last of the Sudanistic Empires; rose from the ashes of the Mali empire when the Songhai people of Gao extended their influence and control outward, eventually overtaking all of what was previously Mali and a good swath of the Sahara and the Hausaland. Government was much more centralized than Mali’s or Ghana’s were, and so the rulers constantly fought for the throne, killing each other all the time. They were conquered only 123 years after their rise, when Morocco invaded.

Sonni Ali

First ruler of the Sonni dynasty, guy who captured most of Mali, including Timbuktu and Djenne. Was described as a tyrant by the scholars of Timbuktu, and was nominally Muslim, but practiced animist traditions, possibly as a political move to unite the Muslim elite and the working class.

Askia Muhammad I

Third king of the Songhai empire, overthrew Sonni Baru in 1493 and ruled until 1528. Expanded Songhai into the Sahara and the Hausaland; was a devout Muslim and completed a pilgrimage to Mecca, in addition to improving the universities of Timbuktu. Established Sharia law.

1468 - 1591 CE

Timeline of Songhai Empire

Indigenous West African Religions

These religions were mainly naturalist or animist, with practitioners worshiping the earth, river deities, animals, etc. Many were polytheistic, though not all were. Tended to hold beliefs in spirit worlds, the power of one’s ancestors, etc.

Stateless Societies

Self-governing villages and city-states ruled by a chief or council of elders, held together by clan ties. These were home to ~25% of Africa’s population in the 1500s. Mainly agricultural. Examples include Igboland, which was a land inhabited by people who all spoke similar languages and shared customs and beliefs, but who never established a central government.

Mossi States

Confederacy of 5 independent kingdoms in the Upper Volta River region that lasted from ~1050-1850. Had a common military and political system, allied for safety in numbers and successfully defended against invading empires for 800+ years until the French came along. Mostly made up of Indigenous practitioners, with little Muslim influence. Ruled by an emperor and a council of governors.

Hausaland

Area in the Sahel and Sahara in West Africa, to the East of the Sudanistic empires. Made up of related citystates of Hausa people who shared resources, farmed and traded.

Hausa Confederation

Confederation of 7 city-states, each specializing in a traded good or service to the confederation. Kano and Rano, cotton cloth producers, were Chiefs of Indigo. Katsina and Davra had access to trade routes and were Chiefs of the Market. Gobir was the seat of the army and was Chief of War. Zaria specialized in enslavement of kidnapped people and was Chief of Slaves. Biram was the seat of the government. The confederation was often threatened by the Sudanistic empires, who wanted access to their land and trade routes. Fell by 1804 to the Sokoto Caliphate, after being partially captured by Askia Muhammad in the 16th century.

Benin

Empire begun in the 9th century by Edo-speaking peoples in Nigeria; operated under the Divine Right of Kings. Used centralized army to gain control over neighboring Yoruba, Igo, and Edo populations. Benin sculptors made plaques and sculptures venerating the Oba or King.

Kinship

Society was based on _______ in West African society

Communal, spiritual, and transitory

Land ownership in West Africa was based on ancestral claim, usage, and stewardship, and was ____________ rather than individual.

Slavery in West Africa

Was based on social status or crimes committed rather than birth in most cases; POWs would be enslaved, as would those who committed serious crimes like murder or adultery. Debtors could enter indentured servitude to pay off their debt. POWs were enslaved due to their lack of kinship ties, while criminals and debtors were enslaved as punishment/to work off debt.

Trans-Saharan Slave Trade

Enslaved people sold this way were usually sold from West African empires to Arabian merchants, whose home governments used enslaved soldiers and enslaved workers to bolster their war efforts

Ways to Escape Slavery in West Africa

An enslaved woman could become a concubine and have a freeman’s child, granting her freedom. One could marry into one’s owner’s family, or be granted freedom via manumission, the process of an owner legally granting freedom to a slave. This process would induct you into your former owner’s family.

Why Was Slavery Different in West Africa?

The lack of inherited enslavement, the decentralized nature of most West African governments, the lack of individual land ownership, and agriculture being mostly for subsistence as opposed to wealth-building stopped slavery from being too profitable. Additionally, enslaved people tended to live very similarly to free people, working the same jobs for the same hours, even being allowed to get an education or get married in some places. They still suffered social death, a complete lack of freedom, and abuse, but they were not dehumanized in the same way as people were in chattel slavery.

Great Zimbabwe

City in modern-day Zimbabwe, Southeastern Africa. Existed in the medieval period, and is characterized by its immense and impressive walls, built out of stone with no mortar. It was likely abandoned due to depletion of the soil from over-farming.

Swahili Coast

A group of interrelated city-states on the coasts of modern-day Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, and Comoros. Premier trading location, and often traded with peoples from Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe via the Indian Ocean. Was a big player in the spice trade, but also traded gold, pelts, timber, and ivory. The slave trade through here was minor compared to the scale of it in West Africa, though it still existed.

Kingdom of Kongo

Western African kingdom which existed independently from 1390-1857, after which it became a Portugese vassal. Existed in modern-day Angola and DRC. Was a powerful trading kingdom when contacted by the Portugese in 1483; they proceeded to establish a trading relationship wherein the Portugese could trade on their land and sell their slaves overseas. The Portugese soon took steps to undermine their sovereignty, and they were eventually absorbed into the Portugese empire. King Afonso I converted the kingdom to Christianity during his reign, possibly as a political move to gain favor with Portugal.

King Nzinga Mbemba

King of Kongo from 1509-1543. Converted the kingdom to Christianity and was king as the Portugese began undermining Kongolese sovereignty in earnest; wrote a letter to the Portugese king asking him to order his underlings to order the merchants to stop selling goods to Kongolese vassal kingdoms and to stop kidnapping free people and enslaving them, but his letter was not heeded.

Sugarcane

Founding crop of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; required warm climate and hard labor, two things which existed in conquered territories in the Atlantic Ocean. Fueled demand for enslaved peoples in the Americas.

Queen Mother Idia

Power behind the throne in the kingdom of Benin; her son Esigie was Oba, but she was considered to be the reason for his success. She helped win him the throne over his brother, she helped lead him to victory in multiple wars, and she was said to be a skilled herbalist and medicinal woman.

Queen Nzinga

Queen of Ndongo and Matamba from 1624-1663. Fought with diplomacy, soft power, alliances, and guerrila warfare to drive the Portugese out of her original kingdom of Ndongo. Trained as a warrior and diplomat from a young age, and was known to be skilled with a battle-axe. Once famously had a servant act as her chair during a diplomacy meeting when the Portugese refused to provide her one.

Early Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Europeans would purchase or kidnap people from Africa, sell them to plantations in the Americas, and bring the American goods home. The trade was driven by sugarcane, and was mainly competed for by different European empires, though African empires would compete for economic relationships with the various European empires.