Unit 1 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What notion does African American Studies disprove? How does it reframe this misconception?
The notion that Africa is a primitive continent with no history; early Africa was a diverse continent with complex societies
Where did population centers emerge in Africa? Why?
Sahel and savanna grasslands; because of major water routes, fertile land, and trade between North and South
What caused the Bantu expansion across the African continent?
population growth from technological and agricultural innovations
What current factors were influenced by the Bantu expansion?
linguistic diversity and genetic ancestry
What were some of the complex and large-scale societies that arose in ancient Africa?
Egypt, Nubia/Kush, Aksum, Nok
Which two early African societies emerged along the Nile river? Why did they have conflict with each other?
Egypt and Nubia/Kush; Nubia was the source of gold and luxury trade items
Which empire defeated which and established a dynasty of Black Pharaohs who ruled for a century?
Nubia defeated Egypt
What allowed Aksum to expand?
trade networks on the Red Sea
Nok was one of the earliest West African societies to use what?
iron
What artwork was Nok known for?
terracotta sculptures
What was the first African society to adopt Christianity? Under which ruler?
Aksum; King Ezana
What did African American writers use to counter racist stereotypes?
sacred and secular texts from ancient African societies
In chronological order, which empires made up the Sudanic empires?
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
What did Trans-Saharan trade spread across West Africa?
Islam
What led to Songhai’s decline?
the shift from trans-Saharan trade to Atlantic trade following Portuguese exploration along the West coast of Africa
Who established Mali as a center for trade, learning, and cultural exchange?
Mansa Musa
What allowed Mali to expand its territory?
wealth and access to trans-Saharan trade routes
What event attracted the interest of Europeans towards Mali?
Mansa Musa’s Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Which Mali city, known for its book trade and university, attracted scholars ?
Timbuktu
What was the name given to prestigious historians, storytellers, and musicians in West Africa?
griots
What is religious syncretism?
the blending of different religious and spiritual beliefs and practices
What caused religious syncretism to take place in Africa?
leaders of African societies adopted Islam or Christianity, and their subjects often blended aspects of these religions with their own
Before leading revolts, what did enslaved Africans often perform?
spiritual ceremonies of their syncretic faiths
Who inhabited Great Zimbabwe?
the Shona people
