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1300
Mali Empire Dominates
The Western side of Africa was mainly owned by the Mali Empire, which was very powerful. This empire was founded by Sundiata Keita. West Africa held a lot of the main trade routes across the Sahara. This site was known for being very wealthy due to the Gold trade routes. There was a very popular City at the time that held a lot of learning centers; it was considered "The Golden Age" of its time. This city was also known for being wealthy and for having a lot of cultural influence. -
1300
Djenne City
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1300
Timbuktu
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1300
Mali Empire Creates a Centralized State
At the time, the Mali Empire had a unified Government. They had a single ruler, and it was the "Mansa." Because the Government was so powerful, they controlled a lot of the regions. The Government collected tribute from the local leaders. This is significant because the Mail Empire was the only kingdom that was doing this at the time. The structure of this government was that the Nation was divided into a bunch of provinces, and each Governmental official would collect the taxes. -
Period: 1300 to 1400
Timbuktu City
Timbuktu was a very wealthy city in the Mali Empire. Because of the city's wealth, it was the center of a lot of trade and trade routes. Timkutu was located next to the Nile River. It was also at the edge of the Sahara Desert. They were good at trading, so that's how they got wealthy. They mainly mined gold and salt. They followed the Islamic teachings and culture. They had a lot of Islamic schools, universities, and mosques. Timkutu became a part of the Mali Empire in the early 1300s. -
Period: 1300 to 1400
Djenne City
Djenne was a city that was a major trading hub. They made a lot of their architecture out of mud, so that's why they are known for their mud brick mosque. Although they were making buildings out of mud brick, the city was very wealthy and popular. The city was founded by the Bozo people and was converted to Islam in the 13 century. The city was a major trading center for gold, salt, and slaves. The city was eventually captured by the Songhai emperor. -
1400
The Rise of Mansa Musa
In the early 1400s, there was an event: The Rise of Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire's peak. This event took place around the Middle of the Niger River and in the area of the city's Timbuktu and Gao. This event was very significant because it helped bring West Africa to its most powerful state of trans-Saharan trade routes. This was because they traded gold and salt to the known parts of the world, and they became very valuable products. This gave West Africa lots of power and made it really rich. -
1460
Prince Henry and the Portuguese
In the mid 1400s and Late 1400’s The Portuguese who were under the rule of Prince Henry decided to travel to west Africa out of curiosity. While they explored the area they established trade routs and initiated the transatlantic slave trade. They also gathered slaves, gold, and Ivory in the West African coast. They were very important because they started something that lasted for centuries. All of the discoveries laid down the foundation for the age of discovery. -
Increase in Transatlantic Slave Trade
One of the largest events that occurred in the 1600s was the major increase in the “Transatlantic Slave Trade.” There were nearly 12 to 15 million enslaved Africans who were transported to various places. The fifth paragraph of Historical Context, written by Steven Mintz, states that “The majority of enslaved Africans brought to British North America arrived between 1720 and 1780.” A huge majority of the slaves were transported to France, Great Britain, Brazil, and the Netherlands. -
One of the Last Kingdoms in the West African Empire
One of the last kingdoms in the West African Empire was in the 1700s, and it was called Asante. This empire was run. by a man named Osei Kofi Tutu I, and his chief priest was Okomfo Anokye, who wasve. Later on, in the late 1700s, he titled Kumasi as the capital of the kingdom. These empires were built by leaders who took others away from their families and rivals. Putting these kingdoms in place ultimately led to wars, fighting to have more land and materials along with better trade routes. -
Sokoto Caliphate
In 1804, the Sokoto Caliphate was a powerful Islamic state made by Usman Dan Fodio following a major holy war. It began in 1804 and was driven by the resistance against the transatlantic slave trade and the local rules they didn't agree with. During this time, they also saw the continued devastation of the African societies, and this was due to the local ongoing slave trades. And with the European powers' activity involved in capturing and trading these enslaved people all along the coast. -
Organized Group gives Slaves Freedom
In 1820, west Africa, the first ever organized group of freed slaves from the United States, was organized by settlers from Sierra Leone. They arrived in Sierra Leone. This marked the new beginning of the American Colonization Society’s efforts to establish a settlement for the freed slaves in the region, which would eventually become the country of Liberia. This was the initial group of settlers that departed from New York on February 6, 1820. They reached Freetown, Sierra Leone.