450 likes | 630 Views
Section 2. The Middle Kingdoms. After A.D. 400, several large trading kingdoms arose in West Africa. Refugees (people who flee for safety) from Kush brought iron-smelting to the West. Ancient & Present Ghana. Ancient Ghana. Present Day Ghana. Ancient Ghana. Ancient Ghana.
E N D
Section 2 The Middle Kingdoms
After A.D. 400, several large trading kingdoms arose in West Africa. Refugees (people who flee for safety) from Kush brought iron-smelting to the West.
Ancient Ghana Present Day Ghana
Ancient Ghana • Developed 400 miles NW of present day Ghana • Became trading nation • Most important goods: salt and gold
Ghana • Founded A.D. 200 • Began iron-smelting in A.D. 350 • Leader is the “Ghana” • Warriors expanded boundaries and controlled trade
Trade Develops • Ghana controls trade between north and south • Caravans paid in gold nuggets to use routes • Ghana rich in gold mines • Camel plays huge role introduced in 600s by Arabs
Gold / Salt Trade • Salt from Taghaza (present day Algeria) (Arabs) • Gold from Wangara (S.W. Ghana) • Merchants used a method called silent barter
Silent Barter • Merchants would travel to Wangara with salt and other goods; they would put goods down and beat a drum; then retreat • Gold miners would leave gold in place
If merchants were satisfied, they would take gold and leave • If not satisfied, they would retreat until gold miners brought more gold
Gold was then shipped to Europe and Asia for sale What problems do you see with foreign involvement?
Decline • Jealousy, fear and anger led to attacks – insignificant • 1076 A.D. – Muslims (Almoravid) attacked – weakened empire • 1235 – part of the Empire of Mali
Ghana Accra
Geography of Today’s Ghana • About the size of Oregon • Tropical climate (around equator) • No natural harbors along 300 mile coast • Tropical swamps
Brush-covered plains • Humid rain-forests • 2/3 is savanna • 2 rivers: Black Volta & White Volta join to form Volta River which empties into Gulf of Guinea
Ashanti • 1670s – Osei Tutu • Kumasi – chief city • Military and trading empire
The Golden Stool • tells of the birth of the Ashanti kingdom • 1600s – meeting was held of tribal clans • Golden Stool was summoned down from heaven by the priest for Ashanti king, Osei Tutu I • sacred - contains the 'Sunsum' — spirit or soul of the Ashanti people
British Invasion • 1823 -1896 • Asanti finally were defeated in 1900
Why did the British want to control Ghana? • Resources • Compete for world dominion
British Control • By 1900, Present day Ghana was under “protection” of Great Britain • 1901: Ghana was part of Britain’s Gold Coast colony
Rebellion • British profited from trade of goods in Ghana • Colonial peoples began to resist and strike led by Kwame Nkrumah in 1947