UNIT 9: Sub-Saharan Africa

Ghana trade

- Berbers used camels - traders crossed the Sahara

How was slavery in European colonies in the Americas different from earlier forms of slavery?

- Europe transformed the slavery trade into something far more horrific and dehumanizing - slave trade in Africa was always about ethnic beliefs rather than race - becomes something with an outward marker (race) that still affects how we treat people

Songhai trade

- gold and salt - taxation - traders

What were the long-term affects of the Atlantic slave trade on African societies?

- large part of African, European, and American economies - 12 million were taken captive from Africa - loss of life (disease and war) - Congo cities faced a huge loss of civilians and warriors but other cities grew rich from selling slaves to triangular trade - introduction of guns in Africa - loss of wealth - loss of most productive members of society

What effect did the rubber trade have on the Congolese?

- population fell 50% over the next 2 decades - executions - deaths in resistance battles - exhaustion from overwork - hands cut off - separated families - tortured - if people didn't meet the quota that the industrial revolution demanded they were tortured and pitted against each other - hunger/famine

Effects of Bantu-migration

- spread of iron working and agriculture - spread of language - learned to herd new animals and grow new crops

Mali trade

- wealth/power from gold trade: gold and salt -highly taxed goods passed through

Negative impacts of Belgian rule in the Congo

-*racism and segregation -"model colony" -Europeans controlled Economic/political power of Belgian Congo -colonial administrators made all political dealing -Africans provided the most labor but earned the least -European corporations controlled valuable farm land -new minerals/raw materials -taxed, not payed well

How were the Swahili city-states connected to international trade?

-Arab traders sold porcelain bowls from China -sold jewels, cotton cloth, and china -bought ivory, gold, and African goods -some cities manufactured goods including cloth and tools -on east coast of Africa by Mediterranean Sea

How did E.D. Morel and Roger Casement discover and speak out against the atrocities of the Congo Free State?

-Casement spent 3 months in the Congo, traveling wherever he wanted, gathering info and reports, and recording testimonies of victims of abuse. - Morel and Casement founded Congo Reform Association: March 1904-1913 coordinated efforts to keep public informed/enthusiastic, provided accurate news and pressured government to take action. People of all classes, religion, and profession labored for the cause

What is the status of the Congo today?

-DRC military is unorganized -tyrants have killed, raped, and tortured citizens -tyrannical warlords took control of Eastern provinces, exploited material/mineral wealth of the region, committed human rights abuses -UN peacekeepers are in the DRC today

How did the Indian Ocean slave trade affect the Congo region?

-East coast slave traders exported slaves from Congo to the Indian Ocean, sold to French plantation owners on African east coast, Brazilian traders, South American plantations and more -Although most Congo groups were self governing, slave trade opened them up to outsiders

What were the results of the civil war in Nigeria

-Nigerian governed reunited the country in 1970, more than a million Igbo had died -Nigerian government didn't punish anyone, used federal money to rebuild -Military governed for a long time ,leaders tried to create strong central government and modern economy -1983, military overthrew civilian government but new regime took over

Positive impacts of Belgian rule in the Congo

-brought medicine to Africa, by 1955 80% of people suffering from Leprocy were receiving modern treatment -education (had shortcomings but for the most part good)

What brought about civil war in Nigeria?

-ethnical division: Hausa-Fulani (mainly Muslim) Yoruba (farming peoples with traditions of kings) and Igbo (farming peoples with a democratic traditions) -raging minority groups tried to win control of the areas and were put down by military rule

Explain the challenges of self-rule the Congo faced in 1960

-only 17 Africans had received university degrees -economic assets still lay in hands of 110,000 whites who lived thee (1% of population) -Africans had little sense of a unified COngo because of separation from Belgian government -120 different political groups

What steps towards democracy did South Africa take in the 1990s?

-replaced apartheid laws: had originally segregated schools, public facilities, and restricted land ownership by blacks -world leaders welcomes these changes and eased tensions with South Africa -F.W. de Klerk legalized ANC -needed to form multi-racial government -F.W. de Klerk held first universal election (all races could vote) -Mandela is elected president and ANC wins 252/400 National Assembly seats -new constitution: equal rights for all citizens, modeled U.S. bill of rights

Why was the Berlin conference organized? What were the results of the Berlin Conference?

-to reduce the possibility of conflicts arising among European powers/ "Carve up" Africa. -3 goals: ensure free trade throughout the COngo, free navigation for all countries on the Niger River, and agree on the rules for Europeans dividing Africa. -Ended with the Berlin Act of 1885 which protected freedom of religion, preserved tribes, and cared for improvement of moral and material well-being

How did the arrival of the Portuguese affect the Kongo kingdom?

-traded with Europeans for goods and received goods from Portuguese -hoped Portuguese would share new technology -Portuguese eventually realized Kongo weren't profitable and took many slaves instead

What were the three major points of view regarding the question of British intervention in the Congo?

1. Britain taking action on their own 2. Urging close cooperation with Great Powers to force action 3. Encouraging Leopold to make reforms on his own

Explain the motivations for European imperialism in Africa

1. Missionary work: many Europeans felt called to "save" Africans through Christianity, desire to "uplift" people they saw as "backward" "uncivilized" or "heathen" 2. Industrial Age Needs: new markets for mass production, need for raw materials: rubber, petroleum, tin, copper, gold, diamonds, ivory 3. Imperial Competition: maintain power in Europe, belief that African colonies make nations wealthy/powerful

King Afonso

1506 takes throne of Congo, converted to Christianity and talked to the pope, sent son to Portugal and he became the first black Catholic bishop. Increased power and size of his kingdom by using guns from Portugal. **Against slave trade

F.W. de Klerk

1989, South Africans elected new president whose goal was to "transform South Africa and end its isolation". 1990 legalized the ANC and released Nelson Mandela from prison

Swahili

A new blended language in east coast trade cities (Bantu, Persian, and Arabic)

George Washington Williams

African American, one of the first outsiders who exposed atrocities in the COngo. Intrigued by sending educated blacks to the Congo, travelled there in 1890. Wrote letters to President of US and king Leopold. Appealed to Berlin act countries to investigate these crimes, urged groups to take action. Leopold tried to get rid of him.

Nelson Mandela

African national leader who was banned and imprisoned by the government of South Africa

Great Powers

Allied countries with Great Britain before WWI: France, Germany, United States, Russia, Austria-Hungary, other major European countries

Leopold II

Belgian, overshadowed by larger powers, desperately wanted to build up overseas empire to secure, world-position. Thought Congo was the best place for this

The Casement Report

Deplored atrocities but praised Europeans for intervening in the chaos. Noted extensive steamship line and well constructed railway. Included testimonies of victims of abuse.

Mansa Musa

Devoted Muslim, built mosques in 2 cities- one was leading center of Muslim's learning. Twice the size of Ghana's territory

International Trade

Egypt, Greece, Arabia, Persia, India, and the Roman Empire all came to aksum's port city of Adulis - Aksum had salt, ivory, and gold

House of Commons

Elected representatives that represented the constituent perspective/stance, had less unanimous opinions in the matter

Member of Parliament

Elected representatives, bicameral government, aware of the public desire for action, all convinced by casement report that the Free Congo State authorities were committing crimes.

Menelik II

Emperor of Ethiopia, purchased arms from Russia and France, builds infrastructure like hospitals, banks, and a postal system, defended Ethiopia from Italian attack and expanded the empire.

Why did Europeans become more interested in the interior of Africa in the late 1800s?

Europeans scrambled to establish territories in Africa where they could trade with locals/tribes. Some African tribes accepted this because they thought they would be protected from neighboring, hostile groups

Patrice Lumumba

First prime minister of independent Congo, 1960, led new coalition government, favored strong, centralized government to unify Congo

Old imperialism

Focus on coastal ports for trade in luxury and slaves Little direct influence over lives of most Africans Inability to travel to interior of Africa **Industrial age technology allows exploration and conquest (steamboat, railroad, medicine, guns, telegraph, cables, etc)

Henry the navigator

Founded navigational school in Portugal, established trade posts in west Africa 1400s, some of the first voyages brought back African slaves

Joseph Mobutu

General, established one-party system and declared himself head of state, renamed Congo "Zaire", titled all African cities, and required all citizens to have African names

Berlin Conference

German Chancellor, Otto Von Bismark, arranged this to reduce possibility of conflicts arising among European powers. Wanted to "carve up" Africa

Where did sub-Saharan African's first civilizations develop?

In the west along the Niger River and in the East (Aksum Kingdom)

The Congo Free State

King Leopold new territory (size of Western Europe)

How did Leopold II exploit the people and resources of the Congo?

Leopold's first decree required all villages and towns to surrender all surrounding lands which they used for generations for hunting and for hunting/farming. Leopold only had a few people govern huge areas, had inadequate funds and was met with much resistance from locals. - instituted labor tax - set new prices for goods

The force publique

Made up of European officers and soldiers from Congo/other African states became largest military force in Africa. Many soldiers were slaves and were mistreated grossly.

How did Islam spread south of the Sahara into West Africa?

Mali rulers adopted Islam Ghana converted to Islam

Iron smelting

Nok people used iron for farming tools and weapons for hunting

triangular trade

North America, South America, Europe, England and the West Indies; trans-Atlantic trading network along which slaves and other goods were carried

Kingdom of Aksum

One of earliest kingdoms to arise in sub-Saharan Africa, successful trade and contact with surrounding areas.

Middle passage

Passage of slavers where slaves were completely deprived of any human rights, treated like objects. Africa to America

The white-man's burden

Poem written by Rudyard Kipling, directed at US after Spanish-American war, US had a "duty" to uplift people of Philippines and Cuba, connoted that imperialism was noble

What caused the Bantu-speaking people to migrate?

Population growth, slash and burn farming required frequent resettlement, search for iron ore, hardwood forests for charcoal

Bantu-Speaking peoples

Shared cultural traits. Farmers/nomadic herders, ironworkers. Slash/burn agriculture.

Apartheid

South African policy of complete legal separation of the races, including the banning of all social contracts between blacks and whites

How and why did Europeans enslaves Africans?

Spurred by Portugal's success and new world colonization, all major European powers participated in the Atlantic slave trade. Demand of slaves in new world. Portuguese trades with Kongo and Europe got involved in triangular trade.

The scramble for Africa

The movement among Europeans for control of African continent. Happened quickly, marked by competition among Europeans

The Belgian Congo

The re-named land that the Belgian government took over (Congo Free State)

Paternalism

Treating people like children, limiting freedoms and responsibilities, providing for needs, but not granting any rights

Zaire

What Mobutu renamed the country to reduce the legacy of colonialism and European influence. **Corruption, repression, human rights violations, cult of personality

Democratic Republic of Congo

What new prime minister, Kabila, renamed Zaire to erase Mobutu's influence

Biafra

When surviving Igbo people fled East in 1967 and seceded from Nigeria, declared themselves a new nation, surrendered in 1970, and Nigeria reunited. Over 1 million Igbo people died from starvation.