Overview
This introduction provides context for Chapter 3 of World History Volume 2, focusing on early modern Africa’s connections to global trade, especially through Portuguese involvement on the West African coast.
The Portuguese and West African Trade
- The Portuguese built the castle of St. George of the Mine (Elmina) on Ghana’s coast in the fifteenth century.
- St. George of the Mine gave Portugal a stronghold in the West African gold trade, previously dominated by the Songhai Empire.
- Portuguese traders at Elmina facilitated the exchange of both gold and enslaved people from Benin to local mines.
- By the sixteenth century, Elmina became an important direct link between European slave traders and African slave markets.
Songhai Empire and Trans-Saharan Trade
- The Songhai Empire’s prosperity depended on the secure operation of trans-Saharan trade routes across North Africa.
- Gold was the most valued West African export, later joined by the increasing trade of enslaved people.
European and African Connections
- Portuguese involvement in African coastal trade is considered by historians as the beginning of the early modern period in Africa.
- Elmina’s establishment marked one of the earliest sustained interactions between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa regarding the slave trade.
Chapter Outline
- 3.1 The Roots of African Trade
- 3.2 The Songhai Empire
- 3.3 The Swahili Coast
- 3.4 The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade
Key Terms & Definitions
- St. George of the Mine (Elmina) — A Portuguese-built fortress on the Ghana coast that became central to gold and slave trade.
- Songhai Empire — A powerful West African state controlling trans-Saharan trade routes in the early modern period.
- Trans-Saharan Trade — Commerce across the Sahara desert involving goods like gold and enslaved people.
- Akan Mines — Gold-producing regions in present-day Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read Sections 3.1 to 3.4 for detailed exploration of African trade, Songhai, the Swahili Coast, and the trans-Saharan slave trade.