Bantu Migrations Benue River (near present-day eastern Nigeria) 1

movements of large number of people Bantu - means “the people” fishing groups/wanderers - land became too crowded - farmers wore out soil -drifted like pioneers - fighting groups left to move south one supreme creator spirit world – ancestors live 2

spread –common ideas and traditions –language hundreds of Bantu languages –120 million Africans speak –including Swahili –skills pottery making mining ironworking 3

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY formed basis of African society extended families –made up of several generations –included ten to hundreds of members matrilineal –trace descent through mothers –married women joined husband’s family her family receives gifts –cloth, metal tools, cattle, or goats valued children –link between past & future –ancestor reborn in a child 4

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY carried out by family & other villagers griots, storytellers oral history –stories passed down from generation to generation –include lesson about living lessons also given through short proverbs –elderly kept oral history alive 5

ROLE OF WOMEN mostly wives & mothers some served as soldiers men had more rights & controlled what women did Queen Dahia al-Kahina –ruler –led fight against muslim invasion Queen Nzinga –ruler –spent 40 years battling Portuguese slave traders 6

SLAVERY already existed throughout the world Bantu chiefs raided nearby villages –captives became laborers –or freed for a payment Portuguese - 1st Europeans to seize Africans for slave trade -12 Africans (men, women, & boys) 7

Saharan Trade - enslaved criminals - enemies of war - hope of escape (stay in Africa) - win their freedom - through hard work - marrying a free person - human trade grew with increased Muslim trade - Europeans arrive in Africa - Africans armed with European guns raided villages & seized captives to sell 8

EUROPEAN SLAVE TRADE 9

started by Portuguese cheap labor harvested sugarcane rest of Europe followed spread to Americas set up sugar plantations brought enslaved Africans across Atlantic Ocean also used to grow tobacco, rice, & cotton Elmira Castle 10

AFRICAN CULTURE 11

AFRICAN ART cave paintings earliest form of African art shows people hunting animals, dancing, & doing everyday chores almost always had some religious meaning woodcarvers made masks & statues –celebrate African religious belief –captured some part of spiritual world 12

African Art (continued) told stories served practical purposes artists worked with wood, ivory, or bronze –Showed faces of important leaders –Everyday people –Later, European explorers and traders weavers designed cloth Kente cloth –means “basket” –first weavers mostly men –worn by tribal chiefs 13

AFRICAN MUSIC almost all aspects of African life expressed religious feelings remind them of their homeland to get through everyday task –planting a field African songs –singer calls out a line –other singers repeat it back 14

AFRICAN MUSIC musical instruments –drums (kept the beat) –whistles –horns –flutes –banjos –African-based music influenced … rap hip-hop ragtime rock and roll blues (songs of hardships) spirituals or gospel –songs of religious faith & hopes for freedom 15

AFRICAN DANCE allowed spirits to express themselves celebrate important events –births and deaths nearly everybody danced lines of men & women swayed & clapped hands individual dancers leaped & twirled background drummers sounded out the rhythm 16

African Americans renewed ties with past taking African names - giving them to their children helped keep African history & culture alive AFRICAN NAMES 17

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