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The Early European Explorers

Mali Songhai and Ghana

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There were several reasons why they wanted to explore the New World:
1) Economic Reasons: they wanted to find gold, natural resources, and to trade
2) Religious Reasons: they wanted to spread Christianity
3) Competition: they wanted to own more land than anyone else and believed their culture was best

But, there were problems...
1) they had poor maps and navigational tools
2) there was little food and many became sick or died from starvation or disease
3) they were afraid of what was over in the New World, since no one had been before
4) they did not have appropriate supplies

Some explorers achieved great things from exploring the New World:
1) they exchanged goods and ideas
2) they were able to improve navigational tools and ships
3) they claimed new territories

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The Early European Explorers:

European Country (Sponsor)	Regions Explored	Relationship with the American Indians
Spain	Francisco Coronado claimed southwest United States	Conquered American Indians and made them slaves; brought Christianity to the New World, but also brought over European Diseases
France	Samuel de Champlain established Quebec;	Established trading posts and spread Christian religion
	Robert La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Valley
England	John Cabot explored eastern Canada	Established settlements and claimed land; learned farming techniques and traded with the First Americans

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Sometimes there was cooperation between the Explorers and the Native Americans:
1) Technologies-- they shared knowledge about transporting weapons and farm tools
2) They traded with one another
3) Native Americans taught the Explorers a great deal about crops

But at other times, there was conflict:
1) Who owned the land?
2) They competed for trade
3) There were many differences between European and Native American cultures
4) Disease was brought over by the Explorers
5) They spoke different languages, so communication was very difficult

Mali ,Songhai and Ghana--Kingdoms built on trade

Mineral resources--gold and salt--were the major reason for the trade that built the wealth and power of the West African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. The location of these kingdoms gave them access to generous supplies of both these valuable resources.
 

The earliest West African kingdom was Ghana. It was located just north of the gold mines in the African rain forest and just south of the salt mines in the Sahara. Muslim Arabs living near the north African coast wanted the gold available in the south. The people of the south, living inland in the hot and salt less rain forest, needed salt to survive. As a result, a lively trade grew up between the north and south.

 

The trade route crossed the Sahara, which had to be navigated, almost like a sea. Surrounding the desert were inland "ports,' places where camel caravans would form to travel together to a common destination. Traveling in groups was necessary as protection against robbery along the wary. Some caravans had as many as 12,000 camels. Using the stars or familiar rocks, pilots would guide the caravans along routes that took them to oases, where they could replenish their water supplies. These slow-moving processions could take up to six months to reach their destination, another inland "port" across the desert.

Over the centuries, trade expanded both in types of goods traded and in ports reached. Koala nuts and slaves from the south were tracded for manufactured goods, foods, and horses from the north. Trade routes were extended to seaports along the Mdeiterranean Sea and the Atalntic Ocean, opening West African trade to Europe.

This vital trade was helped by the prosperous kingdoms of West Africa. To the arabs of the north, Ghana became known as the "Land of Gold" and its ruler, the "King of Gold." He was the richest and most powerful leader in what the Arabs called the "Land of the Blacks."
 

Later, Mali grew even stronger and richer than Ghana. It too amazed and impressed the Muslim Arabs. When making a pilgrimage from Tombouctou to Mecca, Mali' great leader Mansa Musa was accompanied by 60,000 people. Among the pilgrims were 500 slaves, each carying a 4 pound bar of gold. Mana Musa spent the gold freely along his route. It is said that all this lavish spending along the route through Egypt and Arabia depressed the value of gold there for al least 12 years.

Songhai carried on Ghana's and Mali's trading tradition. In the end, though, salt and gold helped bring down the kingdom of Songhai. Relations between Songhai and Morocco to the north became strained. Morocco was eager to displace Songhai as the leader in the Saharna trade and to get the gold that Shonghai controlled. Furthermore, Morocco claimed sole right to a valuable Shararan salt mine that was vital to Songhai's survival. In the late 1500s -early 1600's, Morocco attacked Songhai and destroyed it.

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