Learning Target 7.4.1
Chapt. 5 Section 1
Analyze the effect of geography on
trade in West Africa.
Geography of Africa
7.4.1
The Big Idea
West Africa has varied environments and valuable resources.
2 Main Ideas
Main Idea 1:
The landforms, water, climate, and plant life
affected history in West Africa
• Africa is the second largest continent and is
shaped like a soup bowl with mountains on the
rim.
• The Niger River became a source of water, food,
and transportation that allowed many people to
live in the sub-Saharan plains, areas in Africa
south of the equator.
Africa’s Four Regions
• The northern band across West Africa is the southern
part of the Sahara. It has the world’s largest desert.
• The semiarid Sahel divides the desert from wetter
areas. It has enough vegetation to support hardy
grazing animals.
• Farther south is a band of savannah, or open grass
with scattered trees. Grazing animals are common
there.
• Rain forests, or moist, densely wooded areas, are
near the equator. They contain a variety of plants and
animals.
Main Idea 2:
West Africa’s resources included
farmland, gold, and salt.
West Africa’s
land produced
many crops, such
as dates and kola
nuts. Kola nuts
could be used for
medicine.
Gold could be
used for jewelry
or coins.
Gold came from
the Southern
Forests.
Mines were kept
a secret because
of fear and the
need to control
the trade.
Salt was a
resource that
was found deep
in the earth,
from lakes that
had dried up.
Came from
ancient, dried
lakebeds.
Salt was needed
in their diets, so
it was valuable.
Chapter 5 Section 1 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
1.Along what river did the great
civilizations in West Africa arise?
2.Put the vegetation Zones in order from
most rainfall to least.
3.Describe the Sahel.
4.What are traditional West African
crops?
5.Mineral resources in West Africa include
what?
Learning Target 7.4.2
Chapter 5 Section 2
Explore the roles of family, labor,
and trade in the development of
West Africa.
Early Culture and Trade
7.4.2
The Big Idea
Family ties, religion, iron technology, and trade
all contributed to the growth of West African societies.
3 Main Ideas
Main Idea 1:
Family and religion influenced daily life in
early West African society.
• A typical West African family was an extended family
including close relatives.
• Some people took part in another type of group, called
age sets.
– In these groups, people who had been born within the
same two or three years formed special bonds.
– Religion was called animism. This is the belief that
bodies of water, animals, and natural objects have
spirits. Animism reflects the dependence of
African people on the natural environment for
their daily lives.
Loyalties
Loyalty to families
and age-sets
helped the people
of a village work
together.
• Everyone had
specific duties.
• Men hunted and
farmed.
• Women farmed
and cared for the
children.
• Elders taught
traditions to the
children.
• Children started
working as soon
as they were
able.
Many West Africans
believed that
unseen spirits of
their ancestors
stayed nearby.
They shared their
problems and news
with the spirits and
offered them food.
Main Idea 2:
Iron technology changed life in West Africa.
• Changes in technology helped some early communities
grow.
• The people of Nok began using iron to make farm tools
and weapons.
• Farmers could work the land faster and grow more
food.
• Warriors gained power with better weapons.
• People could live in places they hadn’t been able to before.
Main Idea 3:
Trade shaped the history
of West Africa.
• West Africans began to trade the
area’s resources with buyers who lived
thousands of miles away.
• They traded gold, salt, cloth, copper,
silver, and other items.
• Camels were used to transport
goods over long distances because
they could store water and carry
heavy loads.
Trade patterns
• Salt was found in the North, in
the Sahara desert, and carried
South.
• Gold was found in the South, in
the rainforest, and carried North
to trade.
• The places people gathered became
towns. Timbuktu, for example,
started as a trading camp, and grew
into a large trade center
Chapter 5 Section 2 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
1. Who were men and women in traditional West African
society loyal to?
2. What role did the elders play in the life of the village?
3. The traditional religious practice of West Africans was
centered on what beliefs?
4. What activities were part of West African religious
practices concerning the dead ancestors?
5. What does the animistic belief system reveal about
traditional West Africans?
6. Why did farming in Africa improve during the early West
African time period?
7. Who was one of the earliest groups of people in West
Africa to benefit from iron tools?
8. Which two uses of iron were the most significant for West
Africans?
Chapter 5 Section 2 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
9.
What were the main characteristics of early African
societies? How did they live, what did they trade
and what helped them farm? What kind of
government did they have?
10. What was the name of the group of people who led
desert caravans through the Sahara?
11.What did people south of the Sahara trade their gold
for?
12.What began as a camp for African traders and
became a large trade center?
13.What was the trade pattern direction of gold and
salt?
14. What is an age set?
15.What two factors had the biggest impact on the
growth of West Africa?
Chapter 6 Section 1
Learning Target
7.4.1
Understand how
the differing
geographical areas
near the Niger
River affected the
growth of the
empires of Ghana
and Mali.
Learning Target
7.4.2
Examine the role
family, specialized
labor, and trade
played in the
growth of West
Africa
Empire of Ghana
The Big Idea
The rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling
the salt and gold trade.
Main Ideas
• Ghana controlled trade and became wealthy.
• Through its control of trade, Ghana built an empire.
• Ghana’s decline was caused by attacking invaders,
overgrazing, and the loss of trade.
7.4.1
Main Idea 1:
Ghana controlled trade and became wealthy.
• Ghana was created when groups of farmers banded
together.
• Ghana became a powerful state only when it gained
control of valuable trade routes. Most valuable resources
were gold and salt.
• The exchange of gold and salt followed a process called
silent barter. This is a process in which people exchange
goods without ever contacting each other directly.
• Ghana’s rulers gained power and wealth, and the military
grew in strength, too.
Gold and Salt and Trade
• The salt traders leave salt at
riverbanks. Beat drum and leave.
Gold traders leave fair amount of
gold and beat drum and leave. Salt
trader returns. If happy  takes
gold, if not  continue process…
Main Idea 2:
Through its control of trade, Ghana built an
empire.
• Ghana protected traders
with its army. Traders
were not afraid to travel to
Ghana.
• With so many traders
passing through their
lands, they made money
by forcing traders to pay
taxes.
• In addition, the people of
Ghana and the small
neighboring tribes they
controlled had to pay
taxes.
• Ghana also had rich gold
mines.
• Rulers didn’t want
everyone to have gold
because it was very rare.
Expansion of the Empire
• Ghana’s kings used their great wealth to
build a powerful army and conquered many of
their neighbors, especially ones that had centers
of trade. Money came from taxes.
• To keep order in the empire, conquered kings
were allowed to keep much of their power. They
acted as governors of their territories.
• The empire of Ghana reached its peak under
King Tunka Manin.
Main Idea 3:
Ghana’s decline was caused by attacking
invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of trade.
• Invasion
– A Muslim group called the Almoravids cut off many
trade routes, without which Ghana could not support its
empire.
• Overgrazing
– When the Almoravids moved, they brought herds of animals
with them.
– These animals ate all the grass, leaving the land
worthless for farming.
• Internal rebellion
– The people whom Ghana had conquered rose up in rebellion
and took over the entire empire.
Chapter 6 Section 1 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
1. How did Ghana become such a powerful
state?
2. What was significant about the location
of the Ghana Empire?
3. Why was salt so valuable?
4. What is silent barter?
5. Why was silent barter useful?
6. How did Ghana’s kings govern such a
large empire?
7. What type of leader was Tunka Manin?
Chapter 6 Section 1 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
With so many traders passing though their lands, Ghana’s rulers looked for
ways to make money from them. One way they raised money was by forcing
traders to pay taxes.
8. What can you infer about Ghana’s rulers
from the above passage?
9. How did the location of cities in the
West African Empires of Ghana and Mali
influence their growth?
10. How did Ghana’s kings use the tax and
tribute money they collected?
11.Who were the Almoravids?
12. What happened to the fertile land that
Ghana’s farmers once cultivated?
Chapter 6 Section 2
Learning Target
7.4.3
Describe how
trans-Saharan
caravan trade
influenced West
African religion and
culture, and how
Islam affected
West Africa.
Learning Target
7.4.4
Show how the
Arabic language
spread throughout
West African
government, trade,
and Islamic
learning.
Empire of Mali
7.4.3
The Big Idea
The wealthy and powerful Mali Empire ruled West Africa after
the fall of Ghana.
Main Ideas
• A ruler named Sundiata made Mali into an empire.
• Mali reached its height under the ruler Mansa Musa.
• Mali fell to invaders in the late 1400s.
Main Idea 1:
A ruler named Sundiata made Mali into an
empire.
• Sundiata, Mali’s first strong leader, was both a warrior and
a magician.
• He conquered Ghana and took over the salt and gold
trades.
• He had new farmlands cleared for crops of beans, onions,
and rice. He also introduced cotton as a new crop.
• To protect his authority, he took power away from others
and adopted the title mansa.
Mansa
• Mansas had both political and religious roles in
society.
• The religious role of the mansa grew out of
traditional Malian beliefs.
– According to the beliefs, people’s ancestors
had made an agreement with the spirits of the
land that would ensure the lands provided
plenty of food.
Main Idea 2:
Mali reached its height under the ruler Mansa
Musa.
• Islam was
important to
Musa, so he made
a pilgrimage to
Mecca.
• He influenced the
spread of Islam
through a large
part of West
Africa and had
mosques built
throughout his
empire.
• During this
journey, he
introduced the
empire of Mali
to the world.
• Mali became
famous
throughout
Africa, Asia,
and Europe.
• He also
stressed the
importance of
education and
learning to
read the Arabic
language.
• He sent
scholars to
study in
Morocco. They
came back and
set up schools
to study the
Qur’an.
Main Idea 3:
Mali fell to invaders in the late 1400s.
Weak rulers such as Maghan could not stop raiders,
leading to the empire’s gradual decline.
The empire had become so large that the
government could not control it. Some areas declared
their independence.
In 1431 it was invaded by the Tuareg Nomads.
Invaders finally took over almost all the lands of the Mali
Empire by the 1500s.
Chapter 6 Section 2 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
1. Explain the similarity between the development
of the Ghana and Mali empires.
2. What things of importance happened during the
reign of Sundiata.
3. Unlike Sundiata, most of Mali’s later rulers,
including Mana Musa, were what religion?
4. Who were the mansas?
5. Who was Mali’s greatest and most famous ruler?
6. What was the importance of Mansa Musa’s hajj
to Mecca?
7. How did Mansa Musa spread Islam and
education throughout Mali?
8. What contributed to the fall of the Mali Empire?
Chapter 6 Section 3
Learning Target 7.4.3
Describe how trans-Saharan caravan
trade influenced West African religion
and culture, and how Islam affected
West Africa.
Empire of Songhai
7.4.3
7.4.4
The Big Idea
The Songhai Empire strengthened Islam in West
Africa.
Main Ideas
• The Songhai built a new empire in West Africa.
• Askia the Great ruled Songhai as an Islamic empire.
• Songhai fell to Moroccan invaders, ending the great era of
West African empires.
Main Idea 1:
The Songhai built a new empire
in West Africa.
• Along the Nile River, once a part of Mali, Songhai rose
up against it and regained its freedom.
• Songhai grew in many ways, mostly due to the work of
Sunni Ali.
– Worked constantly to unify, strengthen, and
enlarge it
– Conquered the wealthy trade cities of Timbuktu
and Djenné
• He participated in both Islam and local religions and
brought peace and stability as a result.
Main Idea 2:
Askia the Great ruled Songhai
as an Islamic empire.
Before Askia the Empire wasn’t united under
Islam.
Islam gained influence under Askia the
Great.
Most of Songhai’s traders were Muslim
and when they gained power, the religion
of Islam spread. This changed Songhai’s
government
Education and Government
• Askia the Great worked to
support education and
especially supported
learning about medicine.
• To help maintain order,
Askia set up five
provinces within
Songhai.
– Doctors discovered that
mosquitoes spread
malaria.
– He removed local
leaders and
appointed new
governors who were
loyal to him.
– They also performed
surgery on the human
eye.
– He created special
departments to
oversee certain tasks.
– He created a standing
professional army.
Main Idea 3:
Songhai fell to Moroccan invaders, ending
the great era of West African empires.
• Because Morocco wanted to control the Saharan salt
mines, it invaded Songhai.
• The Moroccans brought with them a terrible new
weapon, the arquebus, an early form of gun.
• The Moroccans’ guns and cannons brought disaster to
Songhai.
– Cities were taken over and looted.
• Changes in trade patterns completed Songhai’s fall.
Chapter 6 Section 3
Notes, IR, and Textbook
1. Which city, that was once the
center of the Mali Empire,
became the center for the
Songhai Empire?
2. Why did Morocco invade
Songhai?
3. What is an arquebus?
Chapter 6 Section 4
Learning Target
7.4.4
Show how the
Arabic Language
spread throughout
West African
government, trade,
and Islamic
learning.
Learning Target
7.4.5
Explain how oral
and written
histories have kept
the history of
Africa alive.
Historical and Artistic Traditions
7.4.5
The Big Idea
Because the people of West Africa did not have a written
language, their cultures have been passed down through
oral history, writings by other people, and the arts.
Main Ideas
• Storytellers helped maintain the oral history of the
cultures of West Africa.
• Visitors to West Africa from other lands wrote histories
and descriptions of what they saw there.
• Traditionally, West Africans have valued the arts.
Main Idea 1:
Storytellers helped maintain the oral history
of the cultures of West Africa.
Writing was not common in West Africa. People passed
along information through oral histories, a spoken
record of past events.
West African storytellers were called griots. They helped
keep the history of their ancestors alive for each new
generation.
In addition to stories, they recited proverbs. These were short
sayings of wisdom or truth. They were used to teach lessons to
the people.
Some of tahe griot poems are epics that are collected in
the Dausi and the Sundiata.
Main Point 2:
Visitors to West Africa from other lands
wrote histories and descriptions
of what they saw there.
The people of West Africa
left no written histories of
their own. Much of what
we know about early West
Africa comes from the
writings of travelers and
scholars from Muslim
lands such as Spain and
Arabia.
One of the first people
to write about West
Africa was al-Masudi.
He described the
geography, customs,
history, and scientific
achievements of West
Africa.
Other Writers
• Abu Ubayd al-Bakri wrote about life in
West African kingdoms.
• Ibn Battutah described the political and
cultural lives of West Africans. He was a
Muslim.
• Leo Africanus was the last major Muslim
visitor to West Africa. Leo lived and wrote
in Europe, so for a long time, his writing
was the only source about life in Africa
available to Europeans.
Main Idea 3:
Traditionally, West Africans
have valued the arts.
• Of all the visual
forms, the
sculpture of
West Africa is
probably the
best known.
– The sculpture is
mostly of
people.
– It was made for
religious
rituals.
– Artists were
deeply
respected.
• Artists carved
elaborate
masks, used
mostly for rituals
as they danced
around fires.
• They wove cloth
such as kente,
a hand-woven,
brightly colored
fabric.
• Also they wove
baskets
• Music and
dancing were
important.
• These activities
helped people
honor their
history and
were central to
many
celebrations.
Chapter 6 Section 4 Notes, IR, and
Textbook
Much of what we know about early West Africa comes from the
writings of travelers and scholars from Muslim lands such as Spain
and Arabia.
1. What is the best inference you can make from this
statement?
2. How was music and dance incorporated into the
lives of the people of early West Africa?
3. What are the names of two West African Epics?
4. For special occasions, West African kings and
queens wore garments made of what special cotton
material?
5. The contacts between civilizations shown in the
map below were primarily made by what kind of
people?
6. What are African storytellers who memorize and
recite the names and histories called?