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1400
Europeans Sail South
The Europeans sailed around the continent of Africa, so they could reach wealth of silks and spices found in India and China. -
1400
Europeans Trade
While in Africa the Europeans learned about culture, and began to trade with African people living south of the Sahara. -
1500
Slavery
Before the Europeans came slavery was apart of the economy in Africa, but they began to sell Africans, guns. -
1500
Slavery Work
The African slaves were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americans to work on sugar, rice and cotton plantations. -
1500
Slaves Die
Thirteen million Africans were forced out of their homeland , and 20% of the Africans taken died on the journey across the ocean to America. -
Europeans Colonize
The Europeans began to colonize another country for the resources it can provide. They colonized Egypt to take control of the Suez Canal. -
Gaining Territory
France took control over most of western North Africa. Spain and Italy also gained control in Morocco and Somalia. -
Claiming Land
Britain gained land in western, central and Southern Africa while France seized most of West Africa. Germany and Portugal also claimed land in Africa south of the Sahara. -
Europe Taking Over
Europe took over almost all of Africa, but inspired by the events in World War II Africans began to rebel against colonization. -
South Africa Independence
Great Britain granted South Africa independence. The small group of white people controlled the government and businesses. -
Kenya Political Organization
The Kikuyu people of Kenya began a political organization in the 1920s to fight for freedom from Great Britain. -
The Last Country
Ethiopia was the last country to be colonized, but in 1930 Italy invaded Ethiopia. -
Belgium Congo
Belgium Congo was established by Europe. Africans were forced to work for no or little pay, and if they rebelled back they were violently crushed. Even though slavery was banned and Europeans built schools, hospitals, roads and railroads, people and cultures were devastated. -
Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah introduced the idea of Pan-Africanism which was a belief in the unity of all Black Africans worldwide. -
Violent Revolts
Nelson Mandela is the best known leader of the African National Congress. Instead of becoming a clan leader, Mandela instead went to school to become a lawyer. As an adult, he began to protest apartheid. -
Apartheid
Afrikaners made apartheid law. Apartheid is a policy of legal separation based on race. Under apartheid, black South Africans were forced to live and work where whites demanded. Blacks could not marry white people, and they received poor health care and schooling. Black South Africans were not allowed to vote so they had no say in the government. -
Violent Revolts
The policies of apartheid led to violent revolts. Black South Africans formed the African National Congress to work for governmental change, but their leaders were often jailed. One member of the ANC, Steven Biko was arrested and murdered by police. His murder drew the attention of famous singers who began to protest to wrongess of apartheid. Biko’s story was made famous by singer Peter Gabriel. -
Sudan Independence
Sudan gained its independence from Great Britain. In the northern part of the country most people were Muslim Arabs. In the south most people were not Arab. Many religions were practiced in the south with Christianity being most popular. The country’s government was in the north. -
Ghana Gains Independence
Ghana gained independence. Pan-Africanism inspired Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya and Nnamdi Azikiwe in Nigeria to agitate for freedom. -
Nigeria’s Independence
Nigeria became independent after a fierce struggle against the British. -
Belgium Congo’s Independence
Belgium Congo became independent, and was unable to create a stable, fair government. -
Tutsi and Hutu
Rwanda is a small country divided between two ethnic groups, the minority Tutsi and majority Hutu. Before Rwanda became a Belgium colony, the Tutsi ruled the Hutu. During colonization, the Belgium government preferred the Tutsi and used them to control the Hutu people. Independence came to Rwanda in 1962 after which violence broke out and the Hutu took control. -
Kenya’s Independence
Kenya became independent. Jomo Kenyatta would become the newly independent Kenya’s first leader. -
Nelson Mandela
Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for his actions. Mandela would not be silenced and continued to protest from prison. F.W. de Klerk was elected president of South Africa in 1989. de Klerk realized that apartheid could not continue. -
Joseph Mobutu
Joseph Mobutu seized power, and renamed the country Zaire and ruled uninterrupted for 32 years. The suffering of the people of Congo continued due his corruption and violence. -
The First Civil War
After independence, the people in the south rebelled against northern rule leading to two civil wars from 1956 to 1972. -
Igbo
Nigeria’s many ethnic groups suffered violence. Igbo people tried to declare themselves independent. The new country was named Biafra. Igbo launched a civil war in which over one million people died before the Igbo agreed to remain part of Nigeria. -
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela announced the end of apratheid and released Nelson Mandela from prison. -
Nobel Peace Prize
Mandela and de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in ending apartheid. -
Nelson as President
South Africa held its first open elections in which Nelson Mandela was elected the new president. -
Violence in Rwanda
The country continued to experience violence until 1994 when Hutu began to engage in genocide against the Tutsi people. Between 800,000 to 1 million Tutsi people were murdered. Eventually the Tutsi came back into power and restored peace. Millions of Hutus escaped into the Democratic Republic of Congo where the Hutu and Tutsi continued to fight. -
Democratic Government
In 2010, people in Tunisia began to agitate for a more democratic government. This movement became known as the Arab Spring. In Tunisia, protestors used social media to spread their message against a corrupt government, high prices and human rights abuses. -
Second Civil War
From 1983 to 2005 Millions of people died. In 2011, Sudan recognized South Sudan’s independence. -
Darfur
In Darfur, an area west of Sudan, water is scarce which led to black farmers fighting with Arab herders for control of what water exists. The Sudanese government backed the herders and overlooked the terrible acts of violence the herders were using against the farmers. -
Darfur
Nearly 300,000 people were forced from their homes and between 100,000 and 400,000 people were murdered. Today most consider the actions of Sudanese government and the herders to be genocide; which is an effort to kill an entire group of people. -
Democratic Government
In 2011, President Ben Ali resigned and a democratic government was elected. Similar victories occurred in Algeria and Morocco. -
Muammar Qaddafi
In Libya, dictator Muammar Qaddafi refused to step down. Instead, war broke out. Other countries, including the United States supported the rebels fighting against Qaddafi. Qaddafi was captured and killed in 2011, and a new government was elected. -
Terrorism
Unfortunately, not all of the rebel groups supported the new government which has led to further violence as groups fight to control oil rich areas. The violence has also given terrorist groups the opportunity to establish bases and carry out attacks. -
President Hosni Mubarak
At the beginning of the Arab Spring Egypt was under the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak was a dictator who had controlled Egypt for 30 years. He was forced to resign in 2011. -
Mohammed Morsi
Mubarak was replaced by an Islamic fundamentalist government led by Mohammed Morsi in 2012. -
Power to Police and Military
Morsi’s term was short because in 2013, his government was overthrown by the military. Morsi was imprisoned and his political party was banned. The new government gave more power to the police and military in the new constitution.