history chapter 13

i used to rule the world

states of west africa order

kingdom of ghana

mali empire

songhay empire

kingdom of ghana

originated 8th and 16th century

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major gold trader

songhay empire

15th century

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built flourishing city-state

sunni ali

ruled the songhay empire

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created effective army + navy

fall of songhay

musket-bearing moroccan army attacked songhay military

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regional city-states exert local control

swahili decline

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Portuguese Vasco da Gama made his way up east African coast to India, runs into and skirmishes with Africans on eastern coast, 1497-1498

1502: returned, forces Kilwa to pay tribute  

1505: Portuguese gun ships dominate Swahili ports

kingdom of kongo

relations with Portuguese started in 1483

Portuguese successfully converted them to Christianity

King Nzinga Mbemba was converted to Christianity, which endorsed their rule

attempts to convert entire population

slave raiding in kongo

Portuguese attempted slave raiding, but soon discovered trading weapons for slaves provided by african traders was easier

made deals with other kingdoms ot her than kongo

relations with kongo worsened

Portuguese decapitated King Antonio (king of kongo)

begins improved slave market in the south

kingdom of ndongo

gains wealth and independence form kongo from portugese slave trade

portugese influence was resisted by Queen Nzinga

Queen Nzginga

ruled kingdom of ndongo

posed as a male king with male concubines in female dresses

established temporary alliance with dutch to expel portugese (unsuccessful)

kingdom of ndongo declines after her death

regional kingdoms in south africa

chieftains develop trade with swahili city-states, increased in power

create Great Zimbabwe

meanwhile dutch build Cape Town

dutch encounter Khoikhoi people (hottentots)

islam in sub-saharan africa

islam and christianity spread in africa

islam develops widely in commercial areas

timbuktu becomes major center of islamic scholarship

african traditions/beliefs blend into islam

muslim shocked at standards of female modestry from africans (they flash their chests)

fulani

movement to impose strict adherence to islamic norms in africa

1680 begins military campaigns to enforce sharia in west africa

considerable influence extends to south as well

christianity in sub-saharan africa

like african islan, syncretic with african beliefs

founded by dona beatriz

* claimed that st. anthony of padua posesed her (um)
* st. anthony was a 13th century franciscan preacher

promoted african form of christianity, taught;

* “"jesus was a black man”
* “kongo was holy land”
* “heaven was for africans”

social change in early modern africa

trade with europeans brings new goods to africa

new crops from americas

* manioc (cassava) becomes staple bread flour

increased food supply boosts population growth despite slave trade

african slave tade

african slavery dates to antiquity

most enslaved africans were

* war captives
* criminals
* people expelled from clans

african distinct from asian/european slavery

* no private property, wealth defined by human labor potential not land
* slaves often assimilated into owner’s clan

islamic slave trade

dramatic expansion of slave trade with arab traders

new slaves acquired by raiding villages

arab traders depend on african infrastructure to maintain supply

european demand on west coast causes slave demand to rise again

early slave trade

portugese raid west african coast in 1441 and take 12 men

* met with stiff resistance
* realized it was easier to purchase slaves
* african dealers ready to provide slaves

1460: 500 slaves per year ot work as miners, porters, domestic servants in Spain and Portugal

1520: 2,000 per year to work in sugarcane plantations in the Americas

triangular trade

european ships often undertook voyages on three legs

* began triangular trade

european manufactured goods (firearms) sent to africa

african slaves purchased and sent to americas

cash crops purchased in americas and returned to europe

middle passage

african slaves captured by raiding parties

* force-marched to holding pens at the coast
* waited for ship to pick them up

embarked on deadly middle passage on the ship

* horrible conditions
* 4-6 weeks
* mortality initially high, often over 50% (then declined to 5%)

total slave traffic from 15th-18th century is 12 million

approx 4 mil die before arrival

impact of slave trade on african regions

rwanda , bugunda, masai, turkana resist slave trade

* lands distant from major slave ports on western coast

other societies benefited from slave trade profit

* asante, dahomey, oyo people benefited most

social effects of slave trade

total african population expands due to importation of american crops

* yet millions of captured africans removed from society
* deplete regional populations

distorted sex ratios result

* 2/3 of slaves male, 14-35 years of age
* encouraged polygamy
* women acting in traditionally male roles

political effects of slave trade

introduction of firearms increases violence of pre-existing conflicts

* more weapons, more more slaves-- more slaves, more weapons
* dahomey people create army dedicated to slave trade

african slaves in plantation societies

most slaves in tropical and subtropical regions

first slave plantation established in hispainola (haiti, dominican republic) 1516

* later spread to mexico, brazil, caribbean, and americas

sugar major cash crop

* later: tobacco , rice, indigo, cotton, coffee

plantations heavily dependent on slave labor

racial divisions of labor

* europeans lead, africans work

regional differences in plantations

caribbean, south america: african population unable to maintain numbers through natural means

* malaria, yellow fever
* brutal working conditions (sanitation, nutrition)
* gender imbalance

constant importation of slaves to maintain workforces

north america has less disease and more normal sex ratio

* slaves families encouraged as prices for slaves rise in 18th century

slaves resistance to slavery

some resisted by working half-heartedly

some sabotaged plantations

some ran away from plantations

some led revolts

slave revolts

only one succesful revolt

* revolt abolished slavery in french-controlled st. dominigue
* renamed haiti

any other revolts were outgunned by euro-american firepower

african-american culture

diversity of african cultures concentrated in slave population

* blend of cultures

african language was used between slaves when numbers permit

* otherwise it was european language, adapted with african influences
* called “creole” languages

christianity adapted to incorporate african traditions

abolition of slavery

olduah equiano

* published best-selling autobiography
* attacks intuitions of slavery

economic costs of slavery increase

* threat of rebellions increase military expenses to null them
* 18th century, price of sugar falls and price of slaves rises
* wage labor becomes more efficient
* wage-earners can spend income of manufactured goods

end of slave trade

denmark abolishes slave trade in 1803

followed by great britain 1807

united states 1808

france 1814

netherlands 1817

spain 1845

posession of slaves remains legal

clandestine trade continues to 1867

emancipatio of slaves begins with british colonies, then french, us, brazil

saudi arabia and angola continue to the 1960s