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Period: Feb 9, 1400 to
Thesis
Although there is a constant theme of Portuguese expansion and conquest, there was greater change from 1400 to 1900, as the main exports of Africa changed from gold and pepper to slaves, African states became more unified, and slavery was abolished. -
Feb 8, 1441
First Slaves Brought Directly to Portugal
In 1441, slaves were brought directly to Portugal from Africa for the first time. Up until this time, they had been grought over throught the trans-Saharan slave trade. This shows CHANGE because it was made slavery become the most common trade item reather than gold or pepper. -
Feb 8, 1484
Portugese Send Missionaries to Kongo
The Portugese sent missionaries to Kongo and had a lot of success. They were able to win over much of the Royal family and westernize them. The Portugeguese treated the Africans as equals for a while, and then began to enslave them. This shows CONTINUITY because it continued Portugal's interaction with Africa and the slave trade. -
Feb 8, 1487
Portuguese Reach the Cape of Good Hope
The Portuguese reached the Cape of Good Hope and began to create factories, places of trade where merchants lived. The most important factory at the time was El Mina. This event shows CONTINUITY because Portugal continued to expand throughout Africa. -
Feb 8, 1570
Portuguese Establish Launda
The Portuguese established Launa on the coast south of Kongo. It was the basis of the colony of Angola, where the Portugese captured slaves. It shows the lasting CONTINUITY of Portuguese expanison and conquest through out Africa. -
Moroccan Invasion of Western Savanna
In 1591, Morocco invaded the Western Savanna and took power away from the Songhay Empire. Most other states in western and central Africa were broken and small. They were unstable, resulting in lots of fighting in an attempt to gain territory and resources. This shows CHANGE because Morocco created a strong emipre in comparision to the other small, weak surrounding ones. -
Dutch Take El Mina
The Europeans began to fight against the Portuguese for control of the slave trade. In 1637, the Dutch took El Mina, a major Portugese trading port. This shows CHANGE because it was the first introduction of the Dutch into the slave trade. -
Dutch East India Company Arrives at Cape of Good Hope
The Dutch East India Company created a colony at the Cape of Good Hope as a stop for their ships on their way to India. They developed vast farms on the area's fertile land. They used slaves to do most of the work. This shows CHANGE because they switched over from using imported Indonesian slaves to captured African slaves. -
Osei Tutu Comes to Power
Osei Tutu centralized and expaned the Oyoko clan. He linked together many clans and created the term asantehene, a complete ruler. He build up a strong military and bureuacracy. This shows CHANGE because the African states were banding together and becoming a strong force. -
Period: to
Dahomey Kingdom
Under the rule of King Agaja, Dahomey expaned toward the coast. They had access to a lot od firearms and were able to control their people through aristocracy. This shows CHANGE because they were one of the first states to have slaves be one of their main exports. -
Britain Ablosihed Slavery
In 1834, Britain abolished slavery. They also created limits on the amount of land that a person could own. Some Boers left the area, so that thy could coninue using slave labor without any issues from the British government. This shows CHANGE because they were the first country to abolish slavery.