AP World History AMSCO Guided Notes
1.5: Developments in Africa
AP World History Guided Notes
AMSCO 1.5 - Developments in Africa
Essential Questions
- How and why did states develop in Africa and change over time?
I. Political Structures in Inland Africa
1. How did Bantu migrations shape the development of Sub-Saharan Africa and what political systems emerged?
2. Why did kin-based networks become difficult to govern as populations grew?
A. The Hausa Kingdoms
1. What were the Hausa Kingdoms and how were they organized politically?
2. How did the trans-Saharan trade benefit the Hausa Kingdoms despite their lack of central authority?
II. Political Structures of West and East Africa
1. How did increased trade contribute to the wealth and power of African kingdoms?
A. Ghana
1. What was the geographic location of the kingdom of Ghana and during which centuries did it reach peak influence?
2. How did Ghana's rulers accumulate wealth and what resources did they trade?
B. Mali
1. How did Mali rise to power after Ghana's decline and what role did Islam play in its development?
2. What did Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca reveal about Mali's wealth and influence?
C. Zimbabwe
1. What architectural changes in Zimbabwe reflected the kingdom's growing wealth?
2. How did Zimbabwe's trade networks differ from those of Ghana and Mali, and what was the significance of the Indian Ocean trade?
3. What caused the decline and abandonment of Great Zimbabwe by the end of the 1400s?
D. Ethiopia
1. How did Ethiopia's religious development differ from other African kingdoms during the 12th to 16th centuries?
2. What architectural achievements demonstrated Ethiopian Christian power and how did Ethiopian Christianity blend traditions?
III. Social Structures of Sub-Saharan Africa
1. What were the three main structures that organized Sub-Saharan African communities and how did each function?
2. How did gender roles divide labor and responsibilities in Sub-Saharan African societies?
A. Slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southwest Asia
1. What were the sources of enslaved people in Sub-Saharan Africa and what roles did they typically perform?
2. How did the Indian Ocean slave trade differ from chattel slavery in terms of permanence and rights?
3. What was the Zanj Rebellion and why is it considered one of the most successful slave revolts in history?
IV. Cultural Life in Sub-Saharan Africa
1. What roles did music, visual arts, and storytelling serve in Sub-Saharan African cultures?
2. How did African visual artists use their work to express religious and political power?
A. Griots and Griottes
1. What were the responsibilities and skills of griots in Sub-Saharan African societies?
2. How did griots preserve and transmit history, and why were they both venerated and feared?
3. What role did griottes play in African societies and how did they empower women?
Key Terms
kin-based networks
chief
Hausa Kingdoms
trans-Saharan trade
Ghana
Mali
Zimbabwe
Ethiopia
Swahili
Indian Ocean trade
Great Zimbabwe
Indian Ocean slave trade
Zanj Rebellion