People and Traditions of Africa

The ways of African societies varied greatly from place to place Hunters and Gatherers were around and many traveled from one African land to the other They lived in small bands of and could track animals over long distances

Existence Herders also existed in Africa Because grazing was limited these societies were often nomadic Along coastlines and rivers, fish were the basic food Fish could be traded to inland towns for grain, animal skins, and other products

Concept of Community Farming communities raised a variety of crops: grains, yams, bananas Farmers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture; this is clearing forest and brush land with iron axes and hoes, and then burning the remains to use for fertilizer

Government Power was given to a single chief or important decisions were made by the elders of the tribe The Kingdom of Kongo had an organized government They used the power of a king and also selected chiefs to rule each individual village

Family Families were very important to African society Nuclear Family- typical with parents and children working together as a unit Extended Family- several generations created societies

Kinship Patrilineal – important kinship ties and inheritance were passed through the father’s side Matrilineal – inheritance traced through the mother’s side; many Bantu villages Lineage – group of households who claimed a common ancestor

Education Education was the duty of both the family and other villagers Children learned the history of their people and the basic skills needed in adulthood West Africa, griots helped teach; vividly told their village’s oral history- these stories were told and retold from generation to generation teaching a lesson about life

Slavery Slavery was a common practice throughout the world. Bantu warriors would capture neighboring villages for laborers, servants, or soldiers Africans also enslaved their enemies and traded them for goods Life of a slave was hard, but some could win their freedom through payment, hard work, or marrying a free person

Growth in Slavery Human trade grew as contact with the Muslim world increased. Muslims couldn’t enslave Muslims, but they could enslave non-Muslims, and they would trade cotton and other goods for enslaved non-Muslims Europeans arrived in West Africa, a new market for enslaved Africans began: armed Africans (with European guns) would capture Africans to sell. ◦ Primary Source page 439

1441- first Africans were sold in Portugal: 12 men, women, and boys: the first Africans to be part of the slave trade that would involve millions Portuguese ship took 235 enslaved Africans to Portugal to work as laborers or the sugarcane plantations on Atlantic islands Late 1400s- Europeans arrived in the Americas with enslaved Africans to grow sugar, tobacco, rice, and cotton.

Art in Africa Painting Weaving Woodcarving Poetry Dancing Metalworking These arts served as religious purposes and to teach people their history

Music and Dance Connected to everyday African life They helped them to express their religious feelings and to help make hard tasks seem easier Enslaved Africans would sing songs to remind them of home. Songs of hardship eventually developed into the blues Over time, other forms of African- based music developed into ragtime, jazz, rock and roll, and rap. Dance was a way to communicate with the spirits and express life