African Trade Routes in the Middle Ages

African Trade Routes in the Middle Ages

Grade 12th Grade · Social Studies · 45 min

What's Included

Learning Objective

I can analyze the impact of trade routes on the economic and cultural development of Africa during the Middle Ages.

Warm-Up Video

CrashCourse · 10:31

Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa: Crash Course World History #16

Guided Notes

3 key concepts

  • 1

    Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca with a large entourage and vast amounts of gold helped create the European myth of West Africa as a land of El Dorado.

  • 2

    Islam spread in West Africa through trade routes, with early converts being traders who benefited from religious connections, followed by kings seeking prestige and access to scholars.

  • 3

    Swahili civilization was a collection of city states linked by language, trade, and religion, with Swahili being a Bantu-based language heavily influenced by Arabic.

Practice Questions

7 questions · Short answer

Exit Ticket

Quick comprehension check

Explain how trade routes influenced both the economic and cultural development of either the Mali Empire or the Swahili city-states during the Middle Ages. Provide specific examples from the video to support your answer.

Complete Lesson Package

Get all 3 ready-to-use resources:

Teacher Guide
Student Doc
Slides