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Kongo Empire
The Kongo Empire’s army began to take prisoners from the Kingdom of Ndongo after the Battle of Mbwila. The kingdom was ruled by an ngola when it became modernized. The Ndongo was a poorer country and it was easier to claim captives of war from them. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=battle+of+mbwila&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=W6gNYwxrgJbbNM:&imgrefurl=http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D1108849&docid=uaJgtvfuClElqM&imgurl=http://i263.photobucket.com/album -
The Portuguese and slaves
Due to the poorer structure, the Ndongo traded slave with Portugal. Although it provided a source of an economy from Portugal, they had big suspicions of the Portuguese. Eventually the Portuguese would try and take over Ndongo but failed to do so. Their slave would be taken secretly without their knowing and this made their population drop. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ndongo+slaves&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=Cf-RPhA2kucbEM:&imgrefurl=http://www.paulclancystories.com/20 -
Queen Nzinga
Eventually they formed a joint state with Matamba in order to establish some stability. The leader of Matamba was Queen Nzinga who was a powerful woman that refuted Portugal and European trade and influence at first. She had a brilliant military strategy that was finally respected by the Europeans and she eventually reestablished a connection with Europe. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=queen+nzinga&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=EHHJArvXkGLzxM:&imgrefurl=http://blackhistoryhe -
Slave Ports
The Portuguese established trading ports along the Atlantic Ocean, which was mainly for slave trade. The slave raids eventually began to slow down as Queen Nzinga brought her strong military to power. However the surrounding states had slaves being shipped out continuously. The slave trade eventually caused many wars with the Portuguese and other states around them. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=portuguese+trading+ports+along+atlantic&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=gdaZ2AnqX -
Kasanje
During the 17th and 18th centuries Kasanje was a major slave-trading place in Central Africa. Kasanje was a state made of three kingdoms that elected one ruler from those three kingdoms and it had separated from the Portuguese rulers in Africa at that time. As the Portuguese began to trade more with them they fell under Portuguese power and became apart of their states. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=kasanje+kingdoms&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=AAY6XAuEBjk25M:&imgrefurl=ht -
Agriculture
In exchange for slaves the Americas gave Central Africa ideas for their society. They were introduced to growing crops such as maize because of their rich soil. Most of Central Africa’s states have many rivers and streams throughout with benefited their agricultural economy and growth of crops. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=central+african+agriculture&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=4W4Dqy3917QZjM:&imgrefurl=http://africareportingproject.org/2010/10/13/the-central-valley-and- -
Women Slaves
Central Africa was mostly a slave-trading region. Many of the slaves were males and children but the females were valued too. Many women that were taken slaves were made into brides. Landowners used them to make more slave children and to do household duties. If the women wasn’t seen fit to be a bride, she was killed. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=african+women+slaves&start=18&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=Ad67SDahgI4NuM:&imgrefurl=http://yeyeolade.blogspot.com/2010/ -
Leopold II
In 1885 the Congo Free State was established and was ruled by Leopold II. Europeans ignored the Congo area because it was mainly independent from the rest of Africa and too far into Africa to want to get slaves compared to the coastlines. Eventually Europeans took control of the area in a plan to attack and conqueror Central Africa. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=leopold+ii&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=nrpvBAOO87MAgM:&imgrefurl=http://dawsr.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/leopold- -
Leopold's plan
Leopold gained control by returning back to Britain and asking for support and assistance in Central Africa. He guaranteed slaves for them and merchants any trade they wanted in the area. He gave surrounding countries such as Germany and Portugal rights to enter the Congo too. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=leopold+ii+congo&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=JUCPh0ts2fc5XM:&imgrefurl=http://www.historywiz.com/leopold.htm&docid=tD41RUZSce23xM&imgurl=http://www.historywiz.com/ -
Europeans in Congo
The European influence in the Congo brought many slaves into Europe especially in Britain and Portugal. Many wars occurred in order to try and gain control of the area in Congo and the surrounding areas. Central Africa was mainly a region for slave trade from 1750-1900. Photo- http://www.google.com/imgres?q=europeans+in+congo+1880s&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=679&tbm=isch&tbnid=bPeWzk1nVgjgVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx%3Fid%3D343089&docid=czVrzdY9sC5_6M&imgurl=http://www.xtim
