Summary
In the first century, Northern, Eastern and Southern Africa were already players in world trade. Ships crossed the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, taking raw goods and bringing back cloth, spices and luxury goods. But Western Africa, separated by rough seas and the hard-to-cross Sahara Desert, hadn’t yet made its mark. That started changing in the third century, when the spread of camels and a new long-distance saddle made crossing the deadly desert much quicker and easier. One main exchange was Northern salt, necessary for preserving food, for Western gold, which was in high demand as minting coins became popular. Soon, cities and empires rose up along the route, and huge camel caravans connected Western Africa’s markets to those on the Northern coast. The ghanas, or leaders, of the Empire of Wagadu, the first of Western Africa’s great kingdoms, became rich serving as middlemen. And the religion of Islam traveled south along the routes.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Trans-Saharan Trade:
- What is one new thing you learned about trans-saharan trade?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining trans-saharan trade.
- Draw or give one example of your own.