Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

Tuesday, January 22nd

Take out your ISN to page 83 and answer the question in Preview 13

Tuesday, January 22ndJournal #21

In your journal answer the following:You are a trader heading into West

Africa in about 1000. The caravan carries many goods, but the most precious is salt. Salt is so valuable that people trade gold for it! The gold traders never meet you face to face, though. You wish you cold talk to them to find out where they get their gold. Why do you think the traders are so secretive?

Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

In this chapter we will explore the kingdom of Ghana and learn about the role of trade in the rise of West African kingdoms

Read 13.1 on page 145

How do we know about the kingdom of Ghana? When did the kingdom of Ghana begin? How might Ghana have become a kingdom?

Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

Look at the graphic organizer on page 145. What do you see? Only one of these people traveled, which

one is it? What is the camel carrying? In what direction is the camel traveling? What is the man in the southern part of W.

Africa holding? Who might the figure in the center be?

Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

IntroductionEmpire lasted 500 CE – 1200sPresent day Mauritania and MaliSenegal and Niger RiversArab scholars – earliest writings – was

already flourishing countryGhana – “warrior chief”

13.2 Ghana’s Government and Military

Read 13.2 and complete the reading notes on page 84 of your ISN

13.2 Ghana’s Government and MilitaryGovernment and Military

King and his GovernmentKing was head of armyLed religious worshipWealth through gold tradeConducted business in a courtGovernment officials

appointed by kingpaid from gold money

Matrilineal bloodline (based on woman’s family)

Son of king’s sister took over throne

13.2 Ghana’s Government and Military

Ghana’s MilitaryRegular army, reserve soldiers, and elite soldiers

Wore headdressesWeapons: spears, daggers, clubs, bow and arrow

200,000 warriors

TRADING GAME Notice there are 5 areas of the room:

North Africa, Sahara Desert, Taghaza, Ghana, and Wangara

2 students will be salt miners in Taghaza and 2 students will be Ghana officials in Ghana

The rest of you will be split into 2 groups: North African Traders and Wangaran gold miners – sit in your assigned areas

Note: Wangara is a gold-rich region of south Ghana. Historically, the salt miners of Taghaza were slaves of Arab merchants – you will be referred to as salt miners in this activity

TRADING GAMESalt Miners – you keep 3 salt tokens.

Write your names on the others and give them to the Taghaza salt miners – the tokens you have represent salt you will “mine” during the game. Tokens given to the traders represent salt they have already acquired in Taghaza

North African traders – you get a gold token

Wangaran’s – you get a sheet of paper – place this on the floor in front of you

TRADING GAME

We will not play a game to demonstrate how trading was conducted between N. African traders and Wangaran gold miners. The traders and miners will be competing in the game as individuals. The winners will be the N. African trader who ends the game with the most gold tokens and the Wangaran gold miner who ends the game with the most salt tokens

TRADING GAME – how to play

Step 1 – N. African traders crawl across the Sahara Desert. When a trader reaches Ghana give one gold token to the Ghana official and then walk to Wangara to find a Wangaran gold miner with whom to trade. As a N. African trader approaches the Wangaran, the Wangaran turns his or her back.

TRADING GAME – how to playStep 2 – The N. African trader and the

Wangaran gold minder practice making and accepting the first offer (this is a practice round – tokens will be returned afterwards).

The N. African trader places one or more salt tokens on the paper behind the Wangaran. Then the N. African trader turns your back and claps

The Wangaran turns around and examines the offer and places one or more gold tokens next to the salt and turns and claps.

TRADING GAME – how to play

Step 2 Continued:The N. African takes the gold

token(s), leaves the salt, claps and leaves

The Wangaran picks up the salt tokens

You MAY NOT talk during this

TRADING GAME – how to play

Step 3 – Make a counterofferIf neither the N. African or the Wagaran gold miner is happy with the 1st offer they can make a counter offer.

TRADING GAME – COUNTEROFFERN. African trader – if you aren’t happy

with the Wagaran’s 1st offer, leave the gold and salt

Wagaran, if the gold and salt are still there, you can add more gold tokens or leave the same # of tokens

N. African trader – if you aren’t satisfied with the Wagaran’s counteroffer, take your salt, leave the gold and find another Wangaran with whom to trade

TRADING GAME – COUNTEROFFER

N. African traders can return to Taghaza for more salt tokens if they run out. However, you must pay one gold token to Ghana for every 3 salt tokens you transport through Ghana, and you cannot redeem more tokens than you originally had.

TRADING GAME – getting more salt tokensAfter N. African traders have traded

their 3 salt tokens they can get more by going to Taghaza

You may return to Wangara through Ghana, but you have to pay one gold token for every 3 salt tokens you move through Ghana. You cannot get more salt tokens than you can pay taxes on, and you cannot get more than you have available to you (with your names on) in Taghaza

TRADING GAME – TIME TO PLAY

Now we have gone over the rules so let’s play the game for real.

Taghaza salt miners – you will write a “receipt” for salt issued that traders must show to Ghana officials for tax purposes as they travel through Ghana so you can’t smuggle salt through Ghana

TRADING GAME – Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!

N. African traders – count your gold tokens

Wangaran gold miners – count your salt tokens

Ghana officials – count how many gold tokens you collected

TRADING GAME – DEBRIEFHow did you feel during this activity?How were the students representing

Ghana bale to get gold?Why were traders willing to pay this

tax to Ghana?What problems did you encounter

when you could not talk with the person with whom you wished to trade?

Why might N. African traders and Wangaran gold miners have used a method of trading that involved silent communication?

13.3 Trade: The Source of Ghana’s Wealth

What Did the tokens in the game represent? How were the hardships of crossing the Sahara shown?

Read 13.3 and complete the notes on page 84 of ISN

13.3 Trade: The Source of Ghana’s Wealth Trade: Source of Ghana’s

WealthLocated between two trade areas: North

and Western AfricaLocation of Ghana allowed it to control

and TAX the trade to make MONEY! History of Trans-Saharan Trade

400-500 BCE earliest trade in AfricaTwo things that helped trade grow:

Camel: caravan routes, no water needed for long time

Spread of Islam: brought goods during spread.

13.3 Trade: The Source of Ghana’s Wealth

The Journey SouthTravel on trade routes was long and difficult

Not many towns along wayFew that were there traders stopped at and rested

13.4 The Gold-Salt Trade

How do you think Ghana became wealthy? How was this shown in the game?

Read 13.4 and answer the reading notes on page 85 of your ISN

13.4 The Gold-Salt TradeThe Gold-Salt Trade

Many items were traded, but gold and salt were the biggest two

Wangara: Secret Source of GoldSouth of Ghana was Wangara, much gold

there in secretTaghaza: A Village Built with Salt

Salt was just as important as goldNeeded in part of dietSalt deposits or water methodTaghaza existed due to salt trade

13.4 The Gold-Salt Trade

Ghana’s system of TaxesTraders paid taxes on all goods they had when they came AND left

Tax money paid for armies to protect traders and the empire

13.5 The exchange of Goods

Why do you think students were not allowed to talk to each other? What did the clap mean?

Read 13.5 and answer the reading notes on page 85 of ISN

13.5 The exchange of GoodsThe Exchange of Goods

Kumbi was the main marketplace in Ghana

Goods from all over the world were in Kumbi

Slave market as wellBarter was the form of money

Silent barter – different languages could trade and guarded secret of gold mines

13.6 The Decline of Ghana and The Rise of Mali

Read 13.6 and complete the reading notes on page 86 of ISN

Most of this lesson has focused on the benefits of trans-Saharan trade.

What were some costs involved with this trade.

Ghana's accessibility to outsiders also brought invaders.

Ghana’s wealth stimulated the population growth that depleted the kingdom’s natural resources

13.6 The Decline of Ghana and The Rise of MaliThe Decline of Ghana and the Rise of

MaliHeight (most success) of empire around 1000 C.E. In late 1000s, Almoravids (warriors) attacked

Kumbi and took it over.Ghana began to lose natural resources

Large population consumed more than could be provided

Empire ended in 1203 when rival kingdom took over

New empire rose: MALI.Bigger than GhanaMade money also from the gold tradeIslam was the official religion