Unit 1 Review: Introduction to African American Studies

Flashcards reviewing the key concepts of African American Studies, covering topics from ancient African civilizations to the transatlantic slave trade.

What is African American Studies?

An interdisciplinary approach to studying people of the African Diaspora, including their history, culture, and contributions.

What are the origins of African American Studies?

Black artistic, intellectual, and political endeavors, including figures like Carter G. Woodson and W.E.B. Du Bois.

What are the aims of African American Studies?

To understand contemporary Black freedom struggles and examine the development of ideas about Africa’s history.

How does African American Studies view Africa's role?

Africa is central to the story of African Americans, and its impact continues in African Diasporic communities beyond the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

What mid-20th century changes influenced African American Studies?

The Civil Rights Movement, Black Power movements, and increased Black college student enrollment in predominantly white institutions.

What were the key desegregation cases?

Sweatt v. Painter (desegregated graduate programs) and Brown v. Board (desegregated all public education).

What was the Black Campus Movement?

Protests led by Black students and supporters demanding greater opportunities to study Black history and experiences, as well as support for Black students, faculty, and administrators.

Where and when was the first Black Student Union formed?

San Francisco State University in 1965.

What is the significance of Africa in human history?

Africa is the birthplace of all humanity, with paleontological evidence tracing the evolution of the hominin group to Africa, including the discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia in 1974.

What does the course examine regarding early African Societies?

Developments in the arts, architecture, technology, politics, religion, and music.

Name some ancient African societies.

Egypt, Nubia, Kush, Aksum, Nok, and Bantu.

Name some medieval African empires.

Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe, and Kongo.

What misconceptions about Africa does the course aim to dispel?

The idea that early Africa had undocumented or unknowable history.

How was Timbuktu significant?

It served as a center for knowledge with universities and libraries.

What are the five primary climatic zones in Africa?

Desert, semiarid, savannah grasslands, tropical, and Mediterranean.

Name major rivers in Africa.

Niger River, Congo River, Zambezi River, Orange River, and Nile River.

How did bodies of water support early societies? (Aksum)

Aksum rose by the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, attracting traders to its ports, adopting Christianity, and developing its currency and written language.

How did bodies of water support early societies? (Egypt)

Egypt, along the Nile, adapted grain and legume agriculture and grew to an empire.

How did bodies of water support early societies? (Ghana, Mali, Songhai)

Emergence of population centers connected to major rivers like the Senegal, Volta, Niger, and Benue, along with fertile land, and trade between the tropical south and the Sahara.

How did climate impact trade?

Desert and semiarid areas saw nomadic herders trade salt, the Sahel traded livestock or camels, savannah grasslands cultivated grain crops, and the tropical rainforest traded kola trees/nuts, yams, and gold.

What technological innovations occurred in West and Central Africa?

Ironworking technology emerged among the Nok people of Nigeria, along with terracotta pottery and sculptures with jewelry; Bantu people used swidden/slash and burn agriculture to grow Cassava and yams.

What were the causes and impacts of the Bantu Expansion?

Population pressures led to migrations spreading language, crops, and agricultural technology across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Describe Linguistic Diversity in Africa.

The Bantu expansion led to the adoption and adaptation of language, creating 500+ new languages, with examples like Xhosa and Swahili.

Where did the Earliest Complex Societies emerge?

Egypt, emerged along the Nile River in -3150 B.C.E.

Describe the Old, Middle, and New Kingdom Periods of Ancient Eygpt.

1st pharaoh Menes/Narmer unified Upper and Lower Egypt; Old Kingdom: period in which Egypt had great power and built the pyramids; Middle Kingdom: period of decentralized power of city states; New Kingdom: period of expansion started by Ahmose the first

Describe the Society Nubia/Kush.

Located at the south end of Nile, was the source of Egypt’s gold and luxury trade items; Nubia defeated Egypt, The 25th dynasty of the Black Pharaohs was established, retreated to Kush, later dominated by Aksum

Where did the Aksumite Empire emerge and when?

Aksumite Empire, near present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia, emerged 100 BCE, controlled trade through the Red Sea, and developed its currency and written language.

When did the Nok emerge and where?

Emerged in 500 BCE, near present Nigeria, one of the earliest ironworking societies of West Africa

How did Aksum adopt Christianity?

Through a strong trade relationship with the Roman Empire, not imposed by colonialism; developed its written language, Ge’ez, and is still used as the main liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

How did African Americans use Africa's history?

From the late 18th century, African American writers emphasized significance of ancient Africa to counter racist stereotypes that characterized African societies as without government or culture.

What were the Sudanic Empires?

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai; they flourished from the 7th-16th century, prospering from long-distance trade networks, located at the boundary between the Sahara and Sudanian Savanna.

When did Ghana flourish and how did they gain wealth?

Ghana flourished 830-1230CE, gained wealth by being intermediaries between Berber, Arabs, and gold producers; army strength of 200,000.

When did Mali flourish and who was their leader?

Mali flourished in the 13th-17th century, led by Sunidata Keita, expanded the empire, and successfully navigated the existence of Islam and traditional beliefs.

When did Songhai flourish?

Songhai flourished in the 15th-16th century, established an autocratic, centralized government by Sonni Ali, less tactful in navigating religious divide, weakened by Dynastic conflicts and civil wars, conquered by Morocco.

What commodities went North into the dessert region?

Gold, copper, ivory, kola nuts, animal hides, and enslaved people (based on social status).

What commodities went South from the dessert region?

Salt, silver, tin, lead, perfumes, glass, jewelry, cloth, and horses.

How was Islam spread in Ghana?

Muslim traders were accepted and welcomed due to their importance in the empire’s wealth, and residents of Kumbi Saleh started to adopt it on their own accord.

What empire was ruled by Mansa Musa, and when did he do so?

Mali Empire, ruled from 1312-1337 CE; known for wealth and Hajj to Mecca, brought scholars and architects to Mali, distinctive architecture.

How did access to trans-Saharan trade routes lead to Mali's power?

Used horses and steel weapons allowing soldier to form chainmail armor and iron helmets which contributed to faster travel and superior weapons.

What is the significance of the Sudanic Empires in African American Studies?

The majority of enslaved Africans transported directly to North America descended from societies in these regions; trace heritage to societies with rich histories of trade, culture, and dynamic leaders.

Describe the centers of Learning in West African Empires.

Timbuktu drew astronomers, mathematicians, architects, and jurists to the city, sustained by wealth.

Who were the Griots?

Prestigious historians, storytellers, and musicians who used oral tradition to maintain a community’s history, tradition, and cultural practices.

How was religion blended in Africa?

Islam was accommodated by Sundiata and adopted by descendants; Christianity was adopted by Aksum in the 4th century and Kongo in the 15th century, subjects blended aspects of new faiths with indigenous spiritual beliefs.

What spiritual practices were traced to West and West Central Africa.

Veneration of ancestors, divination, healing practices, collective singing, and dancing; survived in African diasporic religions such as Lousiana Voodoo and Cuban Santeria.

What was the Kingdom of Zimbabwe?

Located in Southern Africa; Linked to trade on the Swahili coast (trade to china); wealthy from gold, ivory, and cattle; declined possibly due to exhaustion of gold supply, decline in trade, political instability, famine, or water shortages.

What's Great Zimbabwe best known for?

Large stone architecture, served as military defense, trade hub, site for religious and administrative activities, symbol of agricultural advancements of the Shona kings.

Where is the Swahili Coast?

Stretches from Somalia to Mozambique; city-states linked Africa’s interior to Arab, Persian, Indian, and Chinese trade; united by shared language (Swahili) and religion (Islam).

How did European Incursions affect the Swahili coast?

Portuguese invaded many city-states, established settlements in the 16th century to control Indian Ocean trade, later expelled by the Omani Sultan.

How was the Kingdom of Kongo converted to Roman Catholicism?

King Nzinga a Nkuwu (Joao 1) and his son Nzinga Memba ( Afonso 1) voluntarily convert Kingdom of Kongo to Roman Catholicism.

What emerged in Kongo from Christianity?

Distinct form of African Catholicism emerged, incorporating elements of Christianity and local aesthetic and cultural traditions, used Kikongo words to translate Christian Concepts.

How Growth of the Transatlantic Slave Trade affect Kongo?

Portugal demanded access to the trade of enslaved people in exchange for military assistance, Kongo nobles participated, Kongo became the largest source of enslaved people.

From where dis the West Central Africa Diaspora come from in the United States?

A quarter of enslaved Africans who were directly transported to what became the United States came from West Central Africa: Many West Central Africans were Christians before they arrived in the Americas

What made up early West and Central African societies?

Many early West and Central African societies were composed of kinship groups, kinship often formed the basis for political alliances; Led by chiefs or a council of elders, mostly agricultural societies; kinship would be matrilineal or patrilineal.

What roles did women play in West and Central African Societies?

Spiritual leaders, political advisors, market traders, educators, and agriculturalists.

Who was Queen Idia?

First Iyoba(queen mother) in the Kingdom of Benin, orchestrated her son’s succession to Oba, served as political advisor, pivotal in Igala-Benin war.

Who was Queen Njinga/Nzinga?

Became the first queen of the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba; Received political and military training, served as ambassador to Portuguese empire; Fought against Portuguese encroachment; Utilizied the Dutch.

How was African Slavery distinct?

Enslaved people were usually POW, integrated into society, and could work their way to freedom or even positions of power; status was not inherited or based on skin color.

What were some common demographics of Africans in Europe?

Traveled to mediterranean port cities for diplomatic, educational, and religious reasons (Ambassadors and children of rulers); Free and enslaved Africans served in domestic labor, boatmen, guards, entertainers, vendors, and knights like Black Ladinos.

What was Portuguese Colonization like in Africa?

Cabo Verde and Sao Tome colonized by Portuguese mid 15c; Established cotton, indigo, and sugar plantations

What is African Diaspora?

The voluntary or involuntary movement of Africans and their descendants to various parts of the world

What helped foster trade and the emergence of early african civilizations?

The major bodies of water surrounding Africa, the Mediterranean sea, Indian ocean, Red sea