Trading Salt for Gold in West Africa

Standard 7.4

Niger River

Ghana

Background:

• In the early 300’s

Soninke families banded

together to protect

themselves from nomadic

herders who wanted to

take their lands. This

group became Ghana.

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Control of Trade:

• Ghana lay between the Sahara Desert and the forest of the Niger River valley. From this location, Ghana was in a good position to trade the region’s most valuable resources- gold and salt. With the development of iron weapons, Ghana was able to gain control of these trade routes and forced traders to pay taxes.

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Gold

Salt

The Role of Salt:

• Salt was very valuable. Africans used salt to preserve food, as a currency, but most importantly Africans needed salt in their diets to survive.

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The Characters: �

• North Africans: Salt traders who traveled in large caravans to Ghana.
• Wangarans: People that mined gold from the Niger River Valley forests south of Ghana.
• Soninke Warriors: Soldiers of Ghana that supervised the Silent Barter process and collected taxes.
• Drummers: Provided cheerful music during the Silent Barter process.

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Step 1: North Africans send a salt caravan to Ghana.

Step 2: North Africans place salt on the banks of the Niger River.

Niger River

Ghana

Step 3: North Africans retreat into the Sahara Desert.

Niger River

Ghana

Step 4: Wangarans hear the drums and sail down the Niger River to Ghana.

Niger River

Ghana

Step 5: Wangarans examine the North African salt trade proposal.

Good Trade

Niger River

Ghana

Step 6: Wangarans place the gold tokens they want to trade alongside North African salt.

Niger River

Ghana

This should be enough gold!!

Step 7: North Africans react to the trade proposal of the Wangarans.

Niger River

Ghana

Good Trade. Let’s load up the gold!

Drummers! Gimme’ a beat, we out!

Hey! Wait for me.

Step 8: Soninke soldiers collect taxes from North Africans and Wangarans.

Tax

Tax

Niger River

Ghana

Review Question

Which of the following statements about trade routes in Africa is true?

• Salt was carried south while gold was carried north.
• Salt was carried north while gold was carried south.
• Salt was carried east while gold was carried west.
• Salt was carried west while gold was carried east.

Answer

• Salt was carried south while gold was carried north.

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Review Question

How did Ghana become such a powerful state?

• Ghana owned more salt than other states.
• Leaders in Ghana formed alliances with other groups of people.
• It had the strongest army in all of Africa.
• It gained control of the valuable trade routes.

Answer

C. It had the strongest army in all of Africa.

Or

D. It gained control of the valuable trade routes.

Review Question

What was significant about the location of the Ghana Empire?

• It had access to the Atlantic Ocean and therefore valuable shipping routes.
• It was located between the gold mines in the south and valuable salt resources in the north.
• It was close to the Byzantine empire.
• Most of the empire was located in the mountains overlooking other empires.

Answer

B. It was located between the gold mines in the south and valuable salt resources in the north.

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Review Question

Why was salt so valuable?

• Salt was important for religious ceremonies.
• Salt was used as a fertilizer for crops.
• Salt was an important trade item and it was necessary to survive.
• Salt was used as a medicine against disease.

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Answer

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C. Salt was an important trade item and it was necessary to survive.

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Review Question

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Name two advantages of the silent barter.

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Name two disadvantages of the silent barter.