African Point of View: the Europeans

African Perspectives of Europeans vs. European Perspective of Africans
13th -17th Centuries - West Africa

African Point of View: The Europeans

Africa 1500-1600s

· ____________________ fading in power as trade moved to the coast and __________ utilized in N. Africa

· Trade on West African coast encourages ________________-______________ and ________________

· Benin- ruled by powerful _________________; state run _______________ working industry; did not convert to ______________

· __________________- on west coast. Converted to _________________ and tried to control emerging slave trade (were _________________ long term)

Salt Cellar Sources

· What do the three pictures of the salt cellars tell you about African’s valuing trade with the Europeans? What stands out when looking at the African depiction of the Europeans?

Oba stone relief

· What symbolizes power in this relief? How does this symbol, present in the salt cellars in the hands of the Europeans, show respect to the European explorers?

Bronze Long House

· What do the two Portuguese soldiers on the roof tell you about Portuguese interaction with the ruler of Benin?

Excerpt of Letters from Manicongo Afonzo to the King of Portugal, (1526?)

· What does this passage tell us about the growing concerns of the Africans towards the slave trade?

July 6, 1526

· What is the major concerned expressed in this passage?

European Point of View: The Africans

· What do the first two slides tell you about the initial European view of Africans and their rulers?

· Describe the depiction of the Africans in the last two slides. How is this similar to what we saw in the salt cellars?