Ch 21-2 Notes
History and Government of Africa South of the Sahara
I. Ancient African Civilizations
A. 5500 BC Djabo Cave paintings found
1. Region had an agricultural society with good land and rivers
B. 2000 BC people left and brought knowledge of agriculture with them
C. Egyptians
1. “First” civilization in Africa
D. Others
1. Nubia – near Kush until 700’s
2. Ghana, Mali, Songhai – trade kingdoms in Sahara
a) Controlled Trans-Sahara trade
3. Bantu – built kingdoms of Kongo, Luba, Lunda
II. European Colonization
A. Exploration
1. 1400’s Portugal and Spain start exploring west coast of Africa.
2. Attempt to connect with Prester John in Ethiopia
a) Hope is to squeeze Muslims out of N. Africa
3. Encounter natives and many wild sights
a) At first want to show off natives to Europeans
b) Exploited Africans for slave work
B. Trade
1. 1600-1700’s Europeans had established trade with African tribes
a) sugar, salt, gold, diamonds
C. Colonization
1. By 1800’s Europeans controlled most of the continent of Africa
a) Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain – see map on pg 441 of textbook
D. Slave Trade
1. Claimed millions of lives
a) Middle Passage – trip across the Atlantic Ocean
2. European guns and Africa’s dependence on European goods fed the slave trade – see map on pg 439
E. From Colonies to Nations
1. Mid – 1800’s Europeans controlled most of Africa
a) Used colonies to supply natural resources to Europe and as a market for European manufactured goods
2. 1914 – (start of WWI), all of Africa except Liberia and Ethiopia was controlled by Europeans
3. Independence occurred in mid-1900’s for most African countries
a) Nigeria – 1960
b) Ghana – 1957
c) Kenya – 1963
d) Zimbabwe – 1980
e) Namibia – 1990
III. Challenges for the future
A. Reforming/changing current political boundaries
1. Europeans made most political boundaries
a) Cut across ethnic lines/groups
b) Many ethnic groups in same country
2. Lack of political experience by current African leaders
a) Led to one-party state – act like dictatorships
b) Whoever has military power usually wins control
B. Overcoming effects of apartheid in South Africa
1. Apartheid – strict separation of the races
2. Blacks lived in separate areas and lacked political rights
3. Ended in 1991
4. First free elections featuring universal suffrage in 1994
a) Suffrage = equal voting rights for all
b) Nelson Mandela elected – first Black president of S. Africa