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Topic #1 African Background

Explore the African heritage of African-Americans, tracing their ancestry back to the West African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Learn about the influence of trade routes, the importance of agriculture, and the rich cultural traditions of West African societies.

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Topic #1 African Background

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  1. Topic #1 African Background

  2. In general, what was the African heritage of African-Americans? Where did most come from?

  3. Ancient Egypt Circa 3100-300BC

  4. Ancient Carthage, Circa 600-100BC

  5. Sahara Desert

  6. Africa was the genesis of human evolution Homo Sapiens evolved from hominids found in what today is East Africa

  7. Swahili City states on coast

  8. Most African-Americans trace their ancestry back to the kingdoms of West Africa

  9. What were some of the major kingdoms of West Africa?

  10. Kingdom of Ghana

  11. Islam, originally from the Arabian Peninsula, spread across the Sahara to the West African kingdoms

  12. Profitable trade routes across the desert began to grow

  13. The Kingdom of Ghana controlled the new trade and became quite wealthy

  14. After the Kingdom of Ghana fell around 1000AD, a new Kingdom, the Mali Kingdom, arose to replace it. The Mali Kingdom lasted from circa 1000AD to 1400AD.

  15. Mali Kingdom was larger than Ghana before it, and thus had more diversity in agriculture and trade

  16. Mansa Musa led the Mali Kingdom at its height in mid-1300s

  17. Mali’s ruling mansa kept a large standing army

  18. When the Mali Kingdom began to break up in the 1400s, the larger and more powerful Songhay Kingdom emerged.

  19. Askiya Muhammad was Songhay’s greatest leader

  20. Timbuktu

  21. Sankore, center of education in Timbuktu

  22. Songhay began to weaken in the early 1500s when the Portuguese began to trade along the coasts, shifting the economy southward, away from established trans-Saharan trade routes.

  23. What are some generalizations about all West African kingdoms and cultures that one can make?

  24. Typical west African village

  25. In many ways a monarchy, west African rulers relied on a series of ministers and advisors

  26. Cattle grew particularly important to West African peoples

  27. The family was the basis of West African social organization

  28. Large African clan

  29. Traditional African religions involved a number of rituals and scared objects

  30. West Africans were great artisans and craftsmen

  31. Music, including drumming, was important to West African culture

  32. Griots were charged with remembering and disseminating history and traditions

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