Great African Kingdoms
Name one major African kingdom or empire discussed in this unit.
Ghana, Mail, or Songhai
During the early trade period, name one good African kingdoms traded to Europeans.
Gold, salt, ivory, spices, or textiles
What type of crops created a major demand for enslaved labor in the Americas? (two words)
Cash crops (tobacco, sugar, and cotton)
What was the Middle Passage?
The middle leg of the Triangular Trade that transported enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas.
What happened to West Africa’s population as millions of people were taken through the slave trade?
West Africa experienced major population loss.
Which West African empire was led by Mansa Musa and became known for Timbuktu and Islamic culture?
The Mali Empire
During the transition period, what did Europeans begin requesting from African traders in addition to goods like gold and ivory?
War captives
What two reasons made Europeans turn away from forcing Native Americans to provide plantation labor?
Many Indigenous people died from European diseases, and many could escape because they knew the land.
Who were the first to enslave Africans in the 15th century?
The Portuguese
What type of economy grew in the American colonies because of enslaved labor?
Plantation economies
What three major resources were important to the economies of African kingdoms?
Gold, salt, ivory
What three items did Europeans offer African leaders during the transition period that helped change the trade relationship?
Guns, gunpowder, and alcohol
Give a geographic reason for basing the slave trade in West Africa.
Any one: relatively close to European ports, coast was accessible to European ships, rivers and existing trade routes connected interior to coast
Give two conditions enslaved Africans faced aboard ships during the Middle Passage.
Any two: overcrowding, chained bodies, poor sanitation, high mortality, etc
How did European weapons contribute to instability in West Africa during the slave trade?
They increased competition and conflict between African states.
Give two examples that show West African societies were well-developed before European slave trading began.
Any two: organized governments, large cities/trading centers, skilled workers, centers of education/religion, extensive trade networks
How did the balance of who benefited from trade change from the early trade period to the peak of the slave trade?
During early trade, both Africans and Europeans benefited. By the peak of the slave trade, Europeans benefited the most.
Was this an economic, political, social, or mixed reason? Explain.
Racist beliefs that Africans were inferior were used to justify their enslavement and create a racial caste system.
Social: deals with beliefs/ideas in society
What three regions were a part of the slave trade?
Europe, Africa, and the Americas/Caribbean
How did the slave trade help create and strengthen racial hierarchies in the American colonies?
Colonies developed racial laws and hierarchies that helped maintain control over enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Compare Mali and Songhai. Give one similarity between the two empires and one difference based on what we learned.
Similarities: gold and salt trade; Timbuktu
Differences: Songhai was known for strong army, Mali was known for Islamic culture
Which stage of trade marked the major turning point toward the transatlantic slave trade, and what changed during this stage?
The Transition Period. Europeans began requesting enslaved war captives in addition to gold and ivory and offered guns, gunpowder, alcohol, and manufactured goods in return.
Was this primarily an economic, political, social, or mixed reason? Explain.
European nations competed to control the slave trade because controlling it could increase their wealth and power.
Political: competition to control for power
Economic: controlling trade routes = more money/wealth
About what percentage of enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage, and approximately how long did the voyage to the Americas take?
~ 10-20% died per voyage, which lasts 6-12 weeks
Identify two long-term legacies of the transatlantic slave trade discussed in this unit and explain each.
Any two with explanation: African diaspora, roots of systemic racism in the Americas, global economic growth built on exploitation, or cultural blending/assimilation under oppression.