AP African American Studies #1

African American Studies

The interdisciplinary approach to the study of people of African descent, largely in the

U.S. It emerges

in the late 1960s as a response to the lack of

university courses on

African Americans.

Disciplines include History, Anthropology, Economics, Biology, Music, Literature, and Psychology

Diaspora

A dispersion of people from their homeland

interdisciplinary studies

Academic approaches that combine traditionally separate disciplines, such as biology and history.

complex socities

societies with large settled populations, an extensive division of labor, monumental architecture, and occupational specialization

Atlantic Slave Trade

Lasted from 16th century until the 19th century. Trade of African peoples from Western Africa to the Americas. One part of a three-part economical system known as the Middle Passage of the Triangular Trade.

Geographically Diverse

areas of land, sub continents, regions, and continents which have an abundance of geographical features. I.E. Africa contains deserts, rainforests, semi-arid areas, river deltas, mountains, and inland lakes.

Sahara

A huge desert stretching across most of North Africa

Sahel

Belt south of the Sahara where it transitions into savanna across central Africa. Semi-arid region of agriculturally fertile land. It means literally 'coastland' in Arabic.

Savanna

An area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes

Niger River

the longest river in West Africa, and a kind of trading highway in early times

Congo River

A river in Central Africa that flows into the Atlantic Ocean from the Congo Rainforest

Zambezi River

A river in Central and Southern Africa that flows into the Indian Ocean.

Orange River

the longest river in South Africa

Nile River

The world's longest river, which flows northward through East Africa into the Mediterranean Sea. River around which Egyptian and Nubian empires developed

Bantu

Collective name of a large group of sub-Saharan African languages and of the peoples speaking these languages.

Bantu Migration

The spread of Bantu-speaking peoples from their homeland in what is now southern Nigeria or Cameroon to most of Africa, in a process that started ca. 3000 B.C.E. and continued for several millennia.

Egypt

This early empire has its home along Africa's longest river, with a detailed form of writing. Political organization around Pharaohs and Dynasties. Participated in long distance trade with Europe and Asia

Nubia

A civilization to the south of Egypt in the Nile Valley, noted for development of an alphabetic writing system and a major iron working industry by 500 BCE

Aksum

A kingdom in northwestern Ethiopia that was a sizable trading state and the center of Christian culture.

Nok

West Africa's earliest known culture; lived in what is now Nigeria; between 500 B.C. and A.D. 200; first people known to smelt iron; fashioned iron into tools for farming and weapons for hunting

Colonialism

An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

Sudanic Empires

These West African kingdoms, including Ghana, Mali and Songhai, flourished between about 500 and 1600 CE. The Sudanic empires became important trading partners with Muslim and North African merchants after the domestication of the camel.

Ghana Empire

Traded with caravans and camels across Sahara. Controlled gold: enforcing law that only kings could own gold nuggets and kept location of gold mines secret. Also made gold scarce thus maintaining high prices fell due to expansion northward into Almoravids territory.

Mali Empire

From 1235-1400, this was a strong empire of Western African. With its trading cities of Timbuktu and Gao, it had many mosques and universities. The Empire was ruled by two great rulers, Sundiata and Mansa Musa. Thy upheld a strong gold-salt trade. The fall of the empire was caused by the lack of strong rulers who could govern well.

Songhai Empire

A powerful West African state that flourished between 1450 and 1591, when it fell to a Moroccan invasion. Capitalizing on the Saharan trade routes, traded gold & salt.

Gold-Salt Trade

Gold and salt made up trade and wealth in the African kingdoms because the Europeans wanted gold, and the Africans needed salt

Trans-Saharan Trade

route across the Sahara desert. Major trade route that traded for gold and salt, created caravan routes, economic benefit for controlling dessert, camels played a huge role in the trading

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The fifth pillar of the Muslim faith: visit Mecca at least once in your lifetime. Notably taken by Mansa Musa from Mali

Timbuktu, Mali

Center of Malian Empire and Islamic Learning. Home to universities, religious center, and thousands of lost manuscripts of African learning

Griot

a member of a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa.

Epic of Sundiata

An epic poem of the Malinke people and tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire

religious syncretism

The attempt to reconcile or blend the beliefs and practices of various religions into one.

Syncretic practices

combining elements of traditional and assimilated religions, i.e. voodoo in Louisiana and Vodun in Haiti

Indigenous beliefs

A religion or form of belief which is formed within a specific location and practiced there.

Animism

The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits

Voodoo

a black religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession.

Vodun

African religious ideas and practices among descendants of African slaves in Haiti.

Santeria

Originating in Cuba, a religion that blends African traditions and Christian beliefs

Candomble

African religious ideas and practices in Brazil, particularly among the Yoruba people.

Great Zimbabwe

A stone-walled enclosure found in Southeast Africa. Have been associated with trade, farming, and mining.

Swahili Coast

East African city-states that emerged in the 8th century CE from a blending of Bantu, Islamic, and other Indian Ocean trade elements

Indian Ocean Trade Route

linked East Asia with Arabian Peninsula and Africa; traded gold, spices, and slaves; spread Islam and Buddhism; sea trade

Kongo Kingdom

Large agricultural state on the lower Congo River; capital at Mbanza Kongo. Adopted Christianity and partnered in trade with Portugal, increasing the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Enslaved people

people who were forced to perform labor, who were captured, bought, and sold into enslavement. Some people, especially in the Americas, were born into enslavement based on the condition of their mother.

Enslavers

People who bought and "owned" other human beings.

Kinship

A social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption

Kingdom of Benin

A forest Kingdom in West Africa, known for its very sophisticated bronze art from the Hausa people. Portuguese came to trade with them.

Kingdom of Ndongo-Matamba

West African kingdom that between 1623 and 1663 experiences some success in resisting Portugal. By the end of the seventeenth century, the kingdom succumbs and becomes the Portuguese colony of Angola.

guerilla warfare tactics

sudden unexpected attacks carried out by an unofficial military group or groups that are trying to change the government by assaults on the armed forces

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa south of the Sahara - crossed by many rivers

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). His extravagant pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.

Shona people

they settled in fertile, well-watered plateaus, in south Africa, area rich in gold. People of Great Zimbabwe

King Nkuwu [Joao I]

Christian King of Kongo reigning during Portuguese arrival

Nzinga Mbemba (Afonso I)

ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo in the first half of the 16th century--> reigned over the Kongo Empire from 1509 to late 1543

Queen Njinga of Ndongo-Matamba

Njinga Mbandi (1581-1663), Queen of Ndongo and Matamba, defined much of the history of seventeenth-century Angola. An adept diplomat, skillful negotiator and formidable tactician, Njinga resisted Portugal's colonial designs tenaciously until her death in 1663. She paved the way for the next 100 plus years to be ruled by women in Matamba.

Queen Idia of Benin

Queen of the Edo people from -504-1550. Played a role in the Idah war, which was a great Benin victory

Black Campus Movement

a movement during the 1960s and 1970sw to increase education about Black History, Africana Studies, Diaspora Studies, etc. to campuses across the US

PWI [Primarily White Institution]

colleges and universities that traditionally catered to primarily white students. Not HBCUs

Black Pharaohs

The Black Pharaohs of Nubia ruled and Egyptian-Nubian empire that extended from the Mediterranean to south down the Nile around the 8th C B.C.E. The pharaohs incorperated Egyptian culture, art, and philosophy into their kingdom. They built a temple in Meroe. They also used pyramids for their monarchs like the Egyptians.

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

The church in Ethiopia that was promoted by the kings and arrived through merchants and missionaries. The kings made 11 rock churches and wrote the Kebra Nagast to promote Ethiopian Christianity. They believed in dark spirits and wore amulets for protection and their Christianity developed differently from that of Europe's.

Catalan Atlas

a medieval map created in 1375 in modern-day Spain; one panel shows the King of Mali, Mansa Musa, who reigned between 1312 and 1327

Ancestor Veneration/Worship

The practice of praying to your ancestors. Found especially in China and practiced across West Africa

city-state

a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state. Seen in Africa along the Eastern Coast and the Swahili culture

Ensalved people

people who were placed into involuntary labor that resulted in enslavement. Modern historical term for "slave" that emphasizes that they were people who were placed in this condition, not everything that they were.

enslaver

someone who captures or holds another person for purposes of slavery, such as a plantation owner. Modern historical term for "master/mistress" that emphasizes the actions they took towards those they enslaved