the Sahel is a dry region bordering the southern Sahara Desert

Mansa is the word used in the kingdom of Mali to refer to the ruler

to be devout is to show strong religious commitment

oral tradition is a form of communication where ideas and knowledge are shared by word of mouth

a caravan is a group of merchants travelling together on a long journey through a desert

The kingdoms of the Sahel

History

In this unit, pupils analysed the effects of transatlantic slavery on West African societies. In ‘The Haitian Revolution: what was its role in the abolition of the slave trade?’, pupils will investigate how the Haitian Revolution challenged and contributed to the fight against slavery.

In ‘Medieval West Africa: why was medieval Mali so successful?’, pupils explored the economic and social structures that contributed to Mali’s prosperity. In this unit, pupils examine how West African societies like Mali were devastated by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

In this unit, pupils learn about the kingdoms of the Sahel and how the arrival of European traders in the region began to destabilise West Africa. Pupils build a deep knowledge of Transatlantic Slavery whilst retaining a focus on the impacts it had in West Africa.

Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted?

enslaved people are people who have been forced to work without pay, lose their freedom and become the property of another person

indentured labour is a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time

chattel slavery is when people become legal property and cannot be freed without the permission of their slaveholder

a slaveholder is someone who owned enslaved people

The arrival of European traders in West Africa

colonies are countries or areas under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country

indigenous people are the original inhabitants of a specific area

manufactured items are items produced by a machine

plantations are areas of land on which certain crops were grown using forced labour

the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas became known as the Middle Passage

The structure of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Oba is the word used in the Benin Empire to describe the figure who was both ruler and spiritual leader

prisoners of war are people captured by the opposing side during a war

The expansion of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

the process of one person or a group of people taking control of another country or state and settling on that land

areas of land on which certain crops were grown, usually using forced labour

people who have been forced to work, lose their freedom and become the property of another person

a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time

British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade

chattel slavery is when people become legal property and cannot be freed without the permission of their slave holder

a society is a large group of people who live within the same area and usually share similar cultures and beliefs

Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted?

Choose a lesson (6)

These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.