African American Geography

The history of West Africa has its inhabitant traces is almost 6000 years ancient, but the earliest human beings who came here first were almost 12000 BCE. The enhancement in the farming took place after the arrival of a modern ancestor in the fifth millennium. After making connections with other civilizations like Mediterranean ones, the development of iron industry took place in every use of daily life. The common or traditional business of trade for them consisted of cotton, leather, metals, gold against horses, clothes, copper, salt, etc. They were modifying their lifestyles and politics as more as they were coming closer to other communities of the world (Ajayi, 1970).

Africa is the second largest continent in the world that was shaped 550 million years ago. Houses 800 million people that speak more than one-thousand languages and regional dialects. I was amazed that the native people of this region could speak many different languages. Africa is known for its vegetation, rainfall, mineral resources, and topography. The vast majority of its geography is grassland and woodlands that support the migration of animals and livestock. There must be warm weather and rainfall, which is heavily relied upon for vegetation. The largest river that flows upward, but has a span that runs from the top of Africa to the bottom is called the Nile River. Africa is mostly recognized for its enormous enriched deposits of mineral resources. Learning about the importance of Africa is truly exceptional. Whenever someone thinks about Africa the first thought is, this is where blacks come from. People don’t talk about how wealthy Africa is nor do they shed positive light on this region. This continent is thought to be poor and a developing country, but this the ideal place for humankind to emerge. Although, I was unaware of the mitochondrial DNA tree study I was mind-blown. This study shows

The main reason for choosing the African American population for this work is because of its unique array of cultural backgrounds. African American communities across the United States are more culturally diverse now than any other time in history with increasing numbers of immigrants from African nations, the Caribbean, Central America and other countries (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). The United States is among the most ethnically diverse nations on the planet (Peterson, K., 2008). With the demographics of the United States constantly changing and as ethnic cultural diversity emerges heightening of culturally competent care is at hand. All cultures have systems of health belief to explain what cause illness, how it can be

Geographic conditions in the South allowed for plantations. The sunny climate and fertile soil allowed southerners to grow agricultural crops. Rice and other crops that was hard to cultivate demanded cheap labor. Gradually, Africans proved to not only be resistant to disease such as malaria, but knew how to farm better. As a result, a large amount of African slaves were purchased and brought to the southern plantations. Overtime, their customs and culture would spread in the south.

While steamships and railways revolutionize transportation providing quick movement throughout Africa, telegraph lines enable communication, and medicines prolong the stay of Europeans in Africa (Grant). Most importantly, industrialization in Africa further promotes industry in Europe by the ability to reach more resources. This becomes evident by the description of the province of Manyuema, “which, at the time of the death of Livingstone, was the richest in ivory and population, and which the slave-hunters have now reduced to a desert, seizing the ivory, and reducing the inhabitants to slavery in order that they may carry the ivory to the coast, after which they would be sold” (Document 8). Their desire for these resources causes them to overtake an abundant amount changing the landscape of Africa

Some Black Americans believe that unnatural illness is the result of the evil influences. They also believe natural illness occurs because the patient is affected by natural forces without adequate protection. Church is important for many Black Americans regarding their healing from illness.

As African Americans we need to know the history of our ancestors in order to make the next generation better. African Americans need to know the struggles and hardships that our ancestors had to go through that pave the way for my generation and the generations after me. It is important to know how our ancestors had to endure slavery. If the older generation does not continue to pay homage to the history of our ancestors, the younger generation will lose sight of what our ancestors have been through (Roberts, 2011). The younger generation is not interested in African American History. It is about what someone can do for them. The younger generation wants everything handed to them not to work for it because the younger generation thinks the world owe them something. The younger generation does not have respect for their elders now.

“The pine-apple, and the thousand other delicious fruits which the industry of civilized man has brought to such great perfection in the tropical climates of America, are here” (216, Mungo Park). The continent of Africa has many natural resources that they can survive off of. They have plenty of fruit trees which shows that their soil and weather is suitable to sustain agriculture. John Iliffe’s belief that the environment of Africa was unsuitable for agriculture was wrong because they have many areas of agriculture on the

By separating slaves from the land, white culture protected its rights to ownership and citizenship. However, the connection was fragmented, not damaged. Even if Sweet Home detained natural beauty, the slaves living there were quite familiar with the ‘wildness’ of nature. As a child, Sethe remembers her mother how “she’d had the bit so many times she smiled” (Beloved 203). Similarly is a human attributed and the opposite of it signifies inhumanity of whites and non-humanness of blacks. Her mouth becomes everlastingly imperfect from ‘the bit’, marking an animal intended for work. Dixon remarks on how “slaves knew that as chattel they were considered part of the property and wilds of nature, which a smoothly functioning plantation could restrain” (17).

When you think of the African slave trade, do you realize that over 10 million people were removed from that continent in less than 500 years? Some scholars believe it may be as large a number as 20 million.1 I would like to pose a few questions and attempt to answer them in this collection of writings and opinions. The evidence and historical documents will show some of the economic and social impacts the Slave Trade had on the African continent.

As claimed by professor Sandra Greene, “We know, for example, that Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, but in West Africa during much of the rest of the nineteenth century, the danger of capture and enslavement still infused a range of everyday activities” (Greene 3). This scholar states that the fear of enslavement was impeding on the natives’ lives. Though this did impact them, the economy was stabilized more than before the ban. After looking at this claim, I discovered less evidence supporting it, and the negatives of the individual lives of slaves were not proven to outweigh the improvements in the

When one thinks of Africa they usually think of a desert with primitive tribes, but that is not all that Africa holds. The continent of Africa is diverse. The food for example is very diverse. The religion in Africa is diverse, and the environment in Africa is diverse.

the number of people who lived in africa were very high. However due to the occurrence of slavery back in the eighteen hundreds, the population had sank by a whole 20%. Most of the african tribes in countries like nigeria, were invaded and the survivors had been kept to be enslaved for the Americans.

From the 15th century forward, nearly twelve million victims were collected and funneled into the Transatlantic Slave Trade. With final destinations in regions around the world like the US’s South, slaves accounted for nearly half of all commodities in these international markets. Author Gavin Wright presents the analysis of how cotton production in the US’s Southeast and Southwest regions from 1800-60 spiked from a combined total from 100,000 bales in 1800, to nearly 5,000,000 bales in 1860, which is a 4,800% climb over the course

grasslands. However, to ignore soil is undoubtedly a mistake because “African soils cannot be separated from African history” (Showers 118). Soils are literally the foundation of life, used for farming, building houses, making pottery, and mined for their mineral deposits. They are “in themselves, historical bodies and they have interacted with human history since its beginning.” (Showers 118). While looking for information on the soil of Africa it is not uncommon to find descriptions such as “African soils are indeed poor” (Bohannan 23) while being presented with the seemingly paradoxical fact that “By far the greatest number of Africans are farmers.” (Bohannan 43). This paper will examine how it is possible for Africa to be a continent consisting of such “poor soil” yet be full of such a rich history of farming that persists into present day. It will explore the general characteristics of African soil, how humans have historically interacted with soil, and the way that outsiders have used generalizations about Africa’s soil to perpetuate Western misconceptions.