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A History of Subsaharan Africa. Artifacts from Benin. EARLY AFRICAN KINDOMS Pre-Europeans. Few written records exist from these kingdoms. Long before Europeans were aware of Africa, many wealthy and powerful kingdoms thrived there. KINGDOM OF GHANA Located in West Africa.
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A History of Subsaharan Africa Artifacts from Benin
EARLY AFRICAN KINDOMSPre-Europeans Few written records exist from these kingdoms
Long before Europeans were aware of Africa, many wealthy and powerful kingdoms thrived there.
KINGDOM OF GHANA Located in West Africa
Date of Kingdom: 300 to 1200 A.D. • Located on busy trade routes; taxed items passing through • Salt and Gold brought in great wealth.
Mali took over Ghana and expanded land to include gold and salt mines King Mansa Musa had a university built in Timbuktu, a city on the Trans-Sahara Trade Route Timbuktu became the center of trade and learning in Mali
KONGO-CENTRAL AFRICAN KINGDOM • One of the most powerful kingdoms on the west coast of Africa during the middle of the fifteenth century • The first kingdom to come in contact with the Europeans in 1483
KINGDOM OF MONOMOTAPA (1400-1800 A.D.)
Kingdom was located in the modern countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique • Zimbabwe means “stone enclosure”. • Great Zimbabwe was an ancient capital city built of stones of marvelous size without the use of mortar Towers of Great Zimbabwe
Early visitors to the Great Zimbabwe reported picking up “bracelets of pure gold by the dozens”.
AFRICA: THE DARK CONTINENT In Europe during the 1500s, people believed that Africa contained mysterious beasts such as:
One-eyed creatures used their feet to cover their heads…. • Birds were so large they carried elephants through the air. • People in Africa had one leg, three faces, and the heads of lions.
1440s- Caravel is developed. Boat has speed and could sail into the wind. • Used by Portuguese and Spanish for oceanic exploration voyages • Portuguese traded with Africa from the West coast
Slavery was common in Africa before Europeans Difference was With Africans- usually prisoners of war; later released With Europeans- slavery now for life. A slave’s children could also expect to be slaves.
Explorers Richard Burton and John Speake searched for the source of the Nile in East Africa David Livingstone- famous explorer and Missionary Richard Burton John Speake David Livingstone
As Africans came in contact with Europeans, neither group knew what to think of the other. • Some Africans thought the Europeans had hoofs, having never seen shoes before.
Rivers were blocked by rapids or waterfalls. Steamboats had to be carried in pieces and assembled later.
TSETSE FLY • caused “sleeping sickness” in humans. • Livestock- nagana (anemia) • Africa loses between $600 million and $1.2 billion a year due to the effects on livestock.
Sleeping Sickness in Humans • Symptoms:Fever, severe headaches, irritability, extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, aching muscles and joints, skin rash, confusion, personality changes, slurred speech, seizures, and difficulty in walking and talking occur when infection has invaded the central nervous system. If left untreated, infection becomes worse and death will occur within several weeks or months. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/trypanosomiasis/factsht_ea_trypanosomiasis.htm
Improvements that made settlement possible: • Quinine and anti malaria drugs Quinine is extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree
In the late 1800s, Europeans began to develop an interest in colonizing Africa. Their Motives: • Curiosity • Commerce-slaves and raw materials • Spread Christianity
Africa in the early 20th Century. Most of Africa was controlled by European nations.
Late 1800s- Territory was divided by European countries with no regard for earlier tribal boundaries, landforms, climate,or culture regions. • Several warring tribes might occupy the same colony. • Many tribes were split among several colonies or cut off from their traditional hunting grounds.
European countries with a major interest in Africa: • Britain • France • Netherlands • Germany • Belgium
Europeans forced Africans to work for them or to use the land as Europeans wanted.
Africans revolted and Europeans had to work hard to keep them in line. • Forced labor in mines- • diamond, iron, gold, other minerals • Commercial farming (plantations): • cotton, peanuts, coffee, bananas, rubber (after air filled auto tires invented), cattle
INDEPENDENCE • Colonies sought independence after WWII. • By 1955- Ethiopia and Liberia were the only independent countries in Africa • Most colonies were independent by the 1970s.
Independence did not bring peace. • Tensions between ethnic groups increased as people competed for power in the newly created countries. • Military dictators took over in many countries.
Problems resulting from Decolonization: • Divisions made arbitrarily by Europeans are now national boundaries. • Africans had no experience with government.
No infrastructure:roads, bridges, transportation facilities, power plants, water supply, sewage treatment facilities, and government buildings
In many countries, little clean water is available for drinking or bathing.
Economic Problems • Many of the new countries had: • no industry, had to sell off natural resources • no investment in health, education or welfare of African people • 38 million people in Africa are at risk of starvation. • People survive on U.N. food aid.
