Africa Ancient times to the Present

Africa Ancient times to the Present

Geography• Diverse geography: hindered economic

development• Savanna: grassy plains

– Rain and fertile soil to support farming• Deserts• Rainforests• Few good harbors: • Natural resources are undeveloped• Rivers many falls and rapids

Traditional Culture• Village Gov’t: council of elders• Family Patterns: extended• Religious Beliefs

– Animism spirits of nature– Islam in Northern Africa

Ancient Kingdoms• Trading Kingdoms• West

– Ghana, Mali, and Songhai• East: Axum• Developed complex societies

Ancient Kingdoms

Mali• Large army• Gold Salt trade• Mansa Musa traveled to Mecca• Timbuktu: center of Islamic

Learning• Advance culture

Benin• In rain forests• Known for its masks made of

bronze and brass• East African City States

– Swahili: Bantu and Arabic language– Bantu migration: search for food;

towards south along rivers

Contributions• African Art

– Bronze, wood, ivory– Religious– Influenced 20th century art and

painting• Literary traditions

– Oral and written

Slave Trade• Causes of Slave Trade• Labor shortage: death of millions of

Native Americans• Triangle trade• Middle Passage• Effects

– Political instability– Loss of talented, strong, intelligent

people

The New Imperialism• Causes:

1. Need for raw materials and new markets

2.Social Darwinism3.White Man’s Burden

Scramble for Africa• Leopold Of Belgium: trade

agreements with leaders in the Congo basin

• Sets off scramble for Africa• Berlin Conference: set up rules for

colonizing Africa– Cultural and ethnic diversity

ignored

Battle for Southern Africa

• Zulu Empire: ruled by Shaka Zulu

• Strong military almost defeats British

• Arrival of Europeans– Boers Dutch farmers in Capetown

The Boer War• 1899 to 1902• Battle over diamond and gold

mines• Ceil Rhodes British governor of

Cape town decides to help the British miners

• Boers lose• 1910 South Africa is formed

Post World War II• All the African Colonies obtain

their independence after WWII• Pan Africanism: African

nations should work together to solve problems

Problems • Tribalism: ethnic rivalries• Political instability• Military dictatorships• Population explosion• Economic dependence• Impact of geography

– Inability to develop raw materials– Poor climate

End to Colonial Empires• Asian and African Countries gain

their independence after World War II

Nationalistic Leaders• Jomo Kenyatta/Kenya• Kwame Nkrumah/ Ghana• Leopold Senghor/Senegal

Jomo Kenyatta• Country: Kenya• Time Frame:1960s and 1970s• Known for:

– Independence leader of Kenya 1963/1964

– African nationalist– Leader of KAU (Kenya African Union)– Led Mau Mau uprising against Great

Britain– ruled as dictator– Encourage foreign investment

Algeria• French and Algerians• 1954 to 1962 • FLN/National Liberation Front• Charles DeGaulle of France

Major Problems Facing Africa

• Population Explosion• Tribalism/Civil War• One Party Rule/dictatorships• Drought/Famine• Desertification/Deforestation• Aids• Type of Economic System• Foreign Debt• Rapid Urbanization/loss of traditional

culture

Congo• Rich in natural resources• Leader:Mobutu Sese Seko• Area: Zaire (Democratic Republic of

the Congo)• Dictator:

– Took money from the country’s treasury & put it into his own bank account

– Supported by US– Set tribe against tribe to consolidate

power– Overthrown when ethnic fighting in

Rwanda between the Hutu and Tutsi spilled over into Zaire

Hutus vs. Tutsis• Burundi and Rwanda• Central African nations• Dysfunctional states created by old

colonial borders• Belgium/Tutsis in Charge• 15% Tutsis/ 85%Hutus• Tutsis control military and government• 1994 Hutus gained power in Rwanda

1/2million Tutsis killed• Burundi Ethnic fencing of Hutus

Sierra Leone• 10 year civil war• Blood Diamonds• Revolutionary United front• Rebels kidnapped more than 5400

children to fight• Ages 6 to 17• Massive killings/war crimes• Financed by diamonds• UN Embargo on diamonds from Sierra

Leone

Diamonds• Charles Taylor of Liberia violated

embargo• Burkina Faso another country that

violated the embargo• De Beers

Sudan• Dafur region• Sunni Muslim militias oppress the Black

Africans who follow animistic religions• Militias commonly known as Janjaweed• Widespread rape, ethnic cleansing,

murder and looting. • 50,000 killed• Displaced over 1.2 million people.

South Africa: Struggles for Equity

South Africa: Struggles for Equity

History and Setting• British Colony till 1910• Afrikaners descendants of

Boers• Ethnic and racial Backgrounds

– Boers descendants of Dutch Settlers

– English– Africans– Asians– Mixed races

History and Setting Continued

• After WWII gov’t strengthened its system of Apartheid

• Apartheid: separation of the races

• Tenaciously denied political rights to the Black Majority

• Goal to perpetuate White rule• Interracial marriages banned

Characteristics of Apartheid

• Complex set of laws required each race to separately:– Attend schools– Live – Find recreation– Attend church– Best jobs and land reserved for

Afrikaners– Blacks needed passports to

travel within South Africa

American Segregation

Equals

South African

Apartheid

1975 population distribution

1978 Income distribution

1985 population distribution 1988 Income distribution

Homelands for Blacks• Bantustans or homelands formed

because of opposition to apartheid

• Poorest land within South Africa• Lacked resources• Needed passport to leave to look

for work

Opposition• Beginning in 1950s• Protests• Gov’t ruthlessly crushes them• Formation of the African

National Congress (ANC) formed in 1912 becomes a major force in the fight

• Outlawed till 1990• Nelson Mandela one of the

ANC leaders spent over 25years in jail

Opposition• Bishop Desmond Tutu fought for freedom• Won the Nobel Peace Prize• Western Nations imposed Economic

Sanctions :withdrew investment capital

• Great amount of violence

Bishop Desmond Tutu• Country: South Africa• Time Frame:1960s to 1990s• Known For: Anti Apartheid

Movement– Led peaceful demonstrations in

protest– Traveled to US– Urged foreign companies not to

spend money in SA– Economic Sanctions

Nelson Mandela• Country:South Africa• Time frame: 1950s to present• Known For:

– Fought Against Apartheid– Started Non-violent then vio;ent

actions in protest– Put in jail for 27 years by white gov’t– Elected 1st Black president of SA in

1994– 1st elections held in 1994

F.W. de Klerk• Country: South Africa• Time Frame: late 1980s and early

1990s.• Known For:

– Last white ruler of South Africa– Dismantled Apartheid– Allowed free elections– Freed Mandela from prison– Legalized the ANC

Gov’t forced to pass reforms

• Frederick de Klerk president of South Africa– Negotiates with ANC– Frees Mandela– Sets elections for 1994– First free elections held in

1994– Nelson Mandela 1st Black

president of South Africa– De Klerk and Mandela win

Noble Peace Prize

Problems facing the New South Africa

• Poor economy enormous poverty• 45% unemployment• Ethnic or tribal violence