The continent of Africa remains home to much of the planet's wealth and in the 1400s significant African kingdoms and empires were built upon that immense wealth. Increasing our knowledge of these nations as they were before the devastating effects of the European initiated Trans Atlantic enslavement system is vital if we are going to understand our nation's early history.
After watching the video posted in google classroom, take a moment to list four details about these African kingdoms from the film that you were unaware of before viewing the film. One detail must come from the piece about Zimbabwe.
One thing that I didn't know about African kingdoms before this video was that commercial centers were a spot where the first places of worship began. This occurred because merchants would need a place to stop and pray during their journeys. Another new thing I learned about these kingdoms was that there are many written accounts about the city of Ghana, all of which are in Arabic. I also learned that the people were governed under the Islamic siryah system. This allowed for many scholars to share their deep understandings of the world. Lastly I learned that Zimbabwe had many "mini Zimbabwe's," within it as there were so many in the nation. Each of these new facts I learnt all just sum up even further how great these African kingdoms were before the Europeans came to destroy them.
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised to learn about all the smaller Zimbabwes within the greater Zimbabwe.
DeleteOne thing I did not know was that the peoples of Africa had actually traveled to the Americas, due to wonder of if there was new land beyond the ocean. I did not know this because you never hear about the African’s journey to America, you usually hear about the European journey. Another thing was that I did not know how prosperous some cities in Africa were. I used think they were well-developed, but not that developed. This was because of the same reason as before. I too learned that Zimbabwe had many “mini Zimbabwe’s” These were similar to the many cities in a state. This showed me how the civilizations of Africa had come a long way, but soon way destroyed by the Europeans, shipping the population to the Americas for slavery.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Before this video I didn't know that people from Africa had traveled to the Americas. I was also surprised to hear how advanced many of the cities were compared to European cities, whom I expected to be more advanced than the African cities than they actually were due to their interconnectedness with the rest of the world compared to Africa. (which was still connected, but not as much)
DeleteI also had no idea that the Africans had discovered America.
DeleteI like your repeated comparisons to European civilizations, such as the expeditions to the Americas and "mini Zimbabwes" - city-states idea. It really puts Africa's achievements into the context of the wider world and makes them stand out much more!
DeleteIts very interesting that the African people made their way over to the Americas two thousand years before Columbus, and yet they're given next to no credit for that accomplishment.
DeleteEthan Lader
DeleteBefore watching the video, I didn't know how important the kingdom of Zimbabwe was to the exportation of gold and other valued goods out of Africa. The kingdom of Zimbabwe's economy depended on the exportation of Gold and other natural goods. Eventually, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was captured as a result of the Mutapa wanting Zibabwe's natural resources.
ReplyDeleteEthan Lader
DeleteOne thing I did not know before watching this video is that African sailors also went across the Atlantic Ocean. I also did not know about Mali, and their huge gold industry that made Mansu Musa the richest man ever. I learned that Zimbabwe Kings communicated with their ancestors through a medium to get guidance about issues. Zimbabwe citizens labored for 7 days a month to honor their king by building a wall.
ReplyDeleteWhen I learned about the last fact you spoke about, I was surprised. I had never heard of a system similar to this one, which can only be described as partial slavery. Nevertheless, this is very interesting information.
DeleteI agree when I learned that they used spirit mediums to communicate with spirits and that those spirits had some influence over the rule was both confusing yet interesting.
DeleteOne fact that I did not know about the early African kingdoms is that they inspired the genre of music known as the blues. Also, I did not know that Malians knew that America existed before Leif Erikson even explored it. Furthermore, I did not know that Mansa Musa was the richest man of all time, with a total net worth of 400 billion dollars. Finally, I did not know that Zimbabwe had a city as big as London before London even existed.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that blues can trace its roots back thousands of years to the continent of Africa, before it even became popular in the US.
DeleteSame, it was so surprising that a genre of music I associate with the Mississippi and West america originated from Africa! The more you know,I guess.
Delete(Sakari Jackson
It is so interesting to think about the wealth of 400 billion dollars! I never knew he was that rich.
DeleteI found it interesting how a music genre that feels so modern was inspired so long ago.
DeleteBefore watching this video, one thing I didn't know about African Kingdoms was that Mosques would frequently receive visitors because of merchants and traders for the most part were Muslim who went to them as a center of learning or center of worship. Something else that i was not aware of was, books became very popular and sacred throughout Muslim moral and became more valuable than any other commodities in Africa. Another thing I learned from this video is the fact that people from Africa did a lot of the most important initial concepts on geography. Something about Zimbabwe was about the wall that was built in order to honor their king, many laborer's were forced into work for this.
ReplyDeleteI also found the relationship and importance of Islam in Africa very interesting. The video said that many African merchants converted to Islam so that it was easier to trade with their middle-eastern counterparts.
DeleteSomething that I did not know about the ancient African kingdoms was that they actually sailed to South America way before Columbus did, yet no one credits or recogizes them. Unfourtunately, the early African societies do not get enough credit for much of what they did. As another example, in Zimbabue, there was a huge civilazation of people living in close quarters with a powerful king at the top. While the Europeans were still in the Black Plauge, the Africans were excelling at many things, including the arts.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's insane that all these other people came to America before Columbus, yet he gets all the credit!
Delete(Sakari Jackson)
I also found this incredibly fascinating and also disappointed that I had never known that before now.
DeleteI agree, but there is a reason for this since the printing press was only invented in the 1400s, so there would be no way to spread the news, and also remember, there was only motivation to explore the Americas in the 1500s since they had a surplus population so they might not of cared before that time.
DeleteI agree that early African societies did not receive recognition for their exploration. They were a very advanced civilization but get little credit for it.
DeleteSurprising tidbits of information!! (Sakari Jackson)
ReplyDelete-Timbuktu was an advanced civilization that had a huge written record rivalling the Italian renaissance.
-The blues came from Africa
-Early places of worship were where trading took place
-Until recently, white people denied the history of Zimbabwe, because racism. They didn’t think black people could create such giant structures.
(The last one I less surprised about, more disgusted and disappionted)
I also thought learning that writing and records in Timbuktu was so advanced very interesting. The renaissance is thought of as a sort of unique time, but there are so many other places, like Timbuktu, that have a lot of technology that aren't acknowledged.
DeleteI also found it very interesting that blues music has heavy influence from Africa music.
DeleteOne thing that I learned from the video was the vastness of the impact of the arts. Blues music is something that is still listened to today and I did not realize that it derived from African music. I also learned about their different religious practices. For example, their belief in ancestral engagement after death is a very important part of the culture, as well as the Islamic influence in Ghana, Mali, and others. Another thing I learned was just how big of a trading power Africa was. I found it very interesting how in control they were of the trade routes and how much gold and ivory they were supplying to other countries. I also never knew that Timbuktu was such an academic center, with its university and records that can be paralleled to the European Renaissance
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you chose to look at the musical aspect of African culture--I hadn't really thought about it too much. But of course, we should appreciate the Blues music that originated in Africa and continues with us to this day.
DeleteI agree, as I had always assumed that the Blues/jazz music had come from the south, but did not bother to dig down deeper than that of the history/lore of where exactly the music genre came from. After watching this video, we now know that the Blues had specifically originated from Africa, and traveled everywhere to become a worldwide phenomenon in the present day.
DeleteI also found it interesting that the Swahili controlled so much of the trade. Imagine the power they held as the middle men (and women)! And talk about a monopoly...
DeleteI agree. I think that arts and culture were both very important in ancient Africa, and I think it's interesting how there were so many communal area built. It shows that they really valued community and culture.
DeleteIt was very interesting to find out that blues music was actually derived from the African style of music. There seems to be almost no connection, and yet there is indeed a connection.
DeleteI also found it very interesting that blues music was derived from African music.
DeleteI don't think that we would have a lot of the knowledge we do if not for how much Islam encouraged scholarship and spread that ideal wherever it went. For example, many of the classical ancient Greek tales and philosophy were only recorded once Islam found them. Timbuktu is a great example of this.
DeleteTimbuktu, a city in Mali, was once (1) a major point in the gold and salt trade, in addition to a great center of education with its university. (2) The city also saw a great value placed on books as Muslim traders continually visited the city. (3) A Malian expedition to the New World was carried out and was possibly successful. On the other side of Africa (in the east), (4) in Greater Zimbabwe, gold was reserved for the king to be used for personal reasons and in trade to the Swahili. Payments to the king's subjects were made in cattle (the primary social status symbol).
ReplyDeleteI agree with the second point, as we see that cultural diffusion had happened back then, with the trading of ideas and the mixture of all of these cultures while trading mixing all together, and creating a cesspool of knowledge, information, and education spread around these major trading points.
DeleteOne thing that I did not know about the ancient African kingdoms back then was that the music from the heart of Africa traveled all the way to the Mississippi Delta, and is now music that is known worldwide, which are the blues. In addition, I did not know that various empires such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Timbuktu, and Gao had one of the first sub-saharan people to accept Islam in as early as 850BC. Furthermore, I was surprised to hear that the Africans first had the idea to sail across the Atlantic ocean centuries before the Europeans did. I was also not expecting that Zimbabwe would have a massive wall erected around it, which was over 25 feet high, 16 feet thick, and circular in shape.
ReplyDeleteI was also unaware that Islam began so early and in so many places. I found it especially interesting when the narrator mentioned that the shared faith also helped build mutual trust between travelers and traders.
DeleteI thought your point about the music is true. It is so interesting how the blues traveled and evolved all around the world. It's really interesting to think about where current styles of music and art came from.
DeleteI also thought that learning about the start of Islam was very interesting, and I though it was interesting how Muslim and Islam religions coexisted in Africa.
DeleteI was surprised to discover that Zimbabwe was an ancient civilization long before the modern country took up its name. Previously I never gave much thought to what civilizations might have existed before we learned about them in geography, so it never occurred to me that there might have been an Ancient Zimbabwe. I also never knew that Africans set out for the Americas long before the Spanish ever made it there. It saddens me that we don't know for certain whether or not they made it the second time, since it only seems right to me that after finally taking a large step towards his goal, Abubakari II would finally be able to cross the sea and achieve his dream.
ReplyDeleteTwo last things I learned were 1: Blues originated from Timbuktu and 2: Timbuktu supposedly started with a woman named Buktu who tended a well which later developed into a village, and then a bustling city.
I think a lot of this stems from not having written records of it all. It is so frustrating how the European colonists were able to claim these works as their own. In Egypt, there were records and consistent contact with the Europeans such that no amount of subjugation could take their history away. I wonder how many civilizations were lost because they happened to not carve their thoughts in stone or clay.
DeleteBefore watching the video I did not know about how rich and successful so many places and Empires in Africa were. I wasn't aware of how widespread their trade was. I didn't. I didn't realize how large the city in Zimbabwe was; it was around the same size as London. I also didn't know that they knew about, then traveled, and probably arrived, in the Americas long before Columbus and other Europeans.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't know how big Zimbabwe was and I found it very interesting.
DeleteOne thing I learned about is that they tried to cross the Atlantic ocean because one ships had made it there but it is there not sure if they reached the Americas or not but we do know they crossed it. Another thing I learned is that Africa had one of or not the richest person live because he had so much gold that makes Bill Gates money look little in comparison. Lastly something that have learned is that Zimbabwe had a similar population to London at the time and they had these impressive pieces of architecture.
ReplyDeleteI agree the fact that such a densely populated area even existed in Africa was interesting to learn about and surprising, and just as surprising was the fact that the maritime technology could have been used to travel to the Americas.
DeleteSome things that people didn't know about ancient Africa is that the people living in Zimbabwe would work for days to build big walls to honor their kings. I did not know that the blues were created that long ago and I had always thought it was more recent. I also did not know how advanced their trading and exploration systems were. Finally, I did not know about how connected Africans are to their ancestors.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I did not know was that people from Africa actually tried to travel across the Atlantic, I also did not know that the music from Africa actually inspired the type of music called the blues. Furthermore, I never knew that they built walls for 7 days in Zimbabwe to honor their kings. Finally, I never knew that in Timbuktu they valued books a great deal, and they had private libraries in many scholars homes.
ReplyDeleteBefore watching the video, there were a lot of holes of my knowledge of Africa usually when someone speaks of Africa it is usually about slavery, I never heard of how advanced the African Kingdoms were, I never knew that the richest man ever was from Africa. I never knew of their Archeological feats like the beautiful and intricate buildings found in Zimbabwe talked about in the video, the Million stone brick walls around the stables of their Chiefs. I also found the story of how Zimbabwe was founded as both a shock and astonishing, how a body of water that was kept by one woman transformed into such an intricate cities.
ReplyDeleteThis was also quite surprising. I found this very interesting as well.
DeleteOne thing I found interesting that I didn't know was how a mosque was built in Timbuktu, that became a center for education. Another thing I didn't know is that during the Mali empire, Africans used maps and navigational tools to study geography, and led an expedition to look for land on the other side of the globe. A third thing that I found fascinating is the story of Mansa Musa, and how he became the richest man in the world, and formed an empire with the largest amount of gold at the time. Lastly, one interesting thing I learned about Zimbabwe is the wall that was built around it, and how people would pay and honor the king through labor.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that I learned was that Mansu Musa was the richest man in the history of the world. The second thing is that the city of Timbuktu was name after a woman named Buktu who created a well so that travelers could rest. The third thing I learned was that the people of Africa crossed the Atlantic 2 thousand years before Columbus. The last thing was that Zimbabwe had a city as big as London before that city ever existed.
ReplyDeleteI also found it very interesting that Zimbabwe had a city as big as London.
DeleteThe story about Buktu was cool to learn.
DeleteOne thing I did not know is that religion became a base for many other things such as education.
ReplyDelete(accidentally posted before I finished) Another thing I did not know was that books became more important than any other commodity. I found this interesting because Africa is pretty dry so I would assume natural materials would be important. A third thing I found very interesting that I did not know was that Timbuktu was named after a woman named Buktu who had set up a water well where travelers stopped at. Something I did not know about Zimbabwe is that they traded ivory and gold to Swahili merchants, this was the first link into Africa's trade network with the outside world.
DeleteOne thing I did not know was that the peoples of Africa had actually traveled to the Americas. I never heard about the African’s journey to America. This is surprising because I have heard and learned so much about European journey to the Americas. This goes to show that the African people had prosperous kingdoms and had many innovations. I was fascinated by the story of Mansa Musa, and how he became the richest man in the world, and formed an empire with the largest amount of gold at the time. This also proves how Africa was very advanced and prosperous. Many people tend to underrate the African kingdoms, and even I didn't know how successful their kingdoms were.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't know they had traveled to the Americas. I found the part about the statue interesting!
DeleteI didn’t know about their travels to Africa either. It was surprising to hear about Abu Bakari and his large fleets of ships.
DeleteI was aware of some of the wealth and power of Mali and Great Zimbabwe and the Islamic trade in the north and east of Africa, but I had a misconception that the great kingdoms were isolated and built from the ground up, but instead they were deeply connected to this Islamic trade and the world as a whole. I also never knew of even the possibility that the Kingdom of Mali might have reached the New World. The ancestor worship practices in Zimbabwe were also new to me. I also never knew of the extent oral traditions played in the history of Africa, which seems incredibly sad given how much must have been lost with the disruption of one generation.
ReplyDeleteThis was also quite surprising. I found this very interesting as well.
DeleteSomething I learned was that Timbuktu was considered to be an educational and religious center. I found it interesting that some of the first places of worship were formed by traders/merchants in commercial areas. Another fact was that Mansu Musa was the richest man ever in the world. I also learned that Zimbabwe was surrounded by a massive wall that was 25 feet high, and 16 feet thick.
ReplyDeleteI had no clue of the extent of power and wealth and Zimbabwe and Mali possessed nor did I realize the amount of natural resources that were exploited by Europeans. I also never had any clue that the Africans could have possibly went on a voyage to the New World. It's impressive in the worst possible way that Europeans were able to erase the African culture so well, that people today in the age of information still don't know the extent of power that Africans held in the old world. All through an enslavement system created for Europeans to make large amounts of profit with almost no investment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I was shocked to find out how rich Mali was and how rich Mansa Musa was.
DeleteOne thing that I did not know is that they sailed to South America before the conquistadores did. I never knew this because it wasn't popularized. Only the European voyages were publicized. I also learned that Mansa Musa was the richest person to ever live. This is quite interesting because I never thought that someone from Africa was the richest ever since I wouldn't think that Africa would harbor that person. It was actually really shocking to find this out.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I did not know was that Islam reached Africa in the 8th century, and that the Ghana empire, the Mail empire, Timbuktu, Gao, and the Songhai empire were the first sub-Saharan people to accept Islam. I also learned that the first places of worship were commercial centers and they became symbols of African civilization. I also learned that in the 14th century, Zimbabwe had a large population that dominated Southern Africa. I learned that Mansa Musa built a university in Timbuktu and he was known as the richest man. -Sabrina
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