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State Building in Africa

Teacher Resources

Driving Question: How was the process of state formation similar and different in various regions of Africa from c. 1200 to 1450 CE?

As in Eurasia and the Americas, state systems in Africa instilled order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures. They also varied by region, implementation, and purpose.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
  2. Explain a historical concept, development, or process.

Vocab Terms:

  • bureaucracy
  • caliphate
  • matrilineal
  • state
STEP 1

Opener: State Building in Africa

STEP 2

Africa 1200–1450

Communities are often organized along some hierarchical line—but how does one reach the top? In Africa c. 1200–1450, the path to the top was paved with tribal loyalty, trade, and religion.

STEP 3

Comparison: States 1200–1450

Ready to add a few stamps to your time-travel passport? It’s time to dig into a comparison of how different regions governed their people, managed resources, and created communities between 1200 and 1450.

STEP 4

State and Empires of West Africa

Not all states and empires are the same. Factors such as geography, culture, and even climate may dictate how governments are instituted and run. In West Africa during the period c. 1200–1450, if you could manage farmers, you could manage an empire.

STEP 5

Closer: State Building in Africa

The Short Answer Question (SAQ for short) on the Advanced Placement exam can be stressful; however, you will be an ACE at answering them once you learn how to Answer, Cite, and Explain!