This episode of Shaka Zulu showed the miraculous birth of Shaka Zulu. Shaka’s father was set to marry a different women then who is mother was and his mother was not happy about that. She wanted more, therefore Shaka’s father decided to make her his second wife. I found it interesting that both wives were pregnant at the same time and ultimately were in labor at the same time. The next part you could tell was a work of fate because the other women’s baby was born first, but when it was born it had died. then Shaka’s mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy who would be Shaka Zulu. it is very interesting that out of the two babies Shaka was the one to be born to the king and would be next in line to be king. Especially because there were people who were trying to kill Shaka’s mother so that she would not give birth to a baby. You could tell that fate was on Shaka’s side because the other baby who was born first was dead, because that baby would’ve been next in line and not him.

The Black Atlantic was a very informational and interesting film. The part of the film that I found most interesting was the transportation of African slaves. There would be boats filled with Africans bringing them to America to trade them for labor. There would be thousands of people squeezed into tight spaces that were inadequate for living, especially for that long of a time. It is extremely inhumane to put that many people in tight spaces, and not giving them the food and water that they need to survive. There were plenty of people who did not survive the trip across the Atlantic and those bodies would be tossed over the side into the ocean. it was very shocking to then learn that sharks would follow these boats because they knew that there would be bodies thrown off the side and they could feast off of them. I also found it very sad that women would harm their bodies by trying different methods to prevent pregnancy when they were being sexually harassed on the boat ride over to America.

From watching the episode about Shaka Zulu, there was a lot of characteristics you could tell that defined him. He was a very powerful and respected ruler. He was respected in the way that his soldiers obeyed everything he commanded of them. When he wanted them to kill the girl to make a point, they did it without hesitation. Shaka was also very powerful, even if he seemed to have taken it too far. When a white man came and offered to teach the village English, Shaka agreed, but told him that if he could not succeed he would be killed. Same with when he killed the girl, he did so because he knew he could. Shaka also had very good strategy. When the white men brought horses into his village, he tamed and rode it very easily to show that if he could tame a horse that fast, he would have no problem taming the white men.

In this episode of 1619 what I found most interesting was that while this African American was trying to get a loan from First Guarantee Bank, and was not getting the loan, he was the only one going through it. He was the only farmer who was having trouble getting the loan and it was brought up that it was primarily due to race. First Guarantee bank was photo copying June’s signature on loan applications. As well as photo copying his signature, they were also changing his loan applications, without his consent, leaving him with not enough money to take care of his farm. June and other black farmers are the same as any other white farmer. They are both people who are trying to take care of their farms to make a living. His race should have had nothing to due with it and it is sad that it was handled that way. Now because June could not afford to keep up with his farm, since he could not even attain a loan anymore, he forced to give up on his land.

During this episode of 1619 I found it interesting that even after land was taken away from African Americans after Lincoln died, freed slaves were still able to acquire a good amount of land. It is even more interesting that right away they had more land opportunities, but as time went on it decreased. Black people owned about a million farms, which was 14 percent of all the farms in the country during the 1920’s. After time that number dropped to below 2 percent. Blacks, like June, try to get crop loans and the ones that they would receive were half of what they need to farm. However, white farmers would get the full loan that they need to run their farms. Funds would run out fast, and there is a need for more workers, but no money to hire people. I find it very unfair that because of the color of their skin, African Americans were not allowed to prosper in their work the same way that white people are able to.

Alexis Sabatelle

HIS 321

Bekeh

20 October 2019

Sundiata was considered to be one of the best rulers of the Mail Empire. He was a great king and ruler because he listened to his people and he never went back on his word. However, Sundiata was not always a strong and powerful individual. Sundiata faced struggles and challenges while he was a child, as well as when he was older, that he overcame to become the great ruler he was known for being.

Sundiata was the son of Sogolon Kedjou who was the wife of the King, Maghan Kon Fatta. Sogolon’s son had a slow and difficult childhood. When he had reached the age of three, he was still crawling around on all fours, whereas children of the same age were already walking around. He had an abnormally large head which he seemed unable to support, and large eyes. He also never really spoke a word and never relaxed his faced in order to form a smile. People would talk about how Sundiata was still unable to walk. However, the Kings first wife was joyful with Sundiata’s failure to walk, her own son was eleven at this point and able to do everything boys his age could. Sassouma would mock both Sundiata and Sogolon for her son’s failure to walk, making him unfit to not be a potential ruler, but a man as well. (pg15-16) Sogolon tried her best to help her son, she resorted all her talents as a sorceress to give him strength to his legs for him to walk, but nothing was enough and Sundiata remained without the ability to walk (pg 16). Even his father, the King, had lost hope in him. At age seven, Sundiata was still without use of his legs, the King was becoming ill, and now the son of Sassouma was becoming a more suitable option to take over the empire. Sundiata not being able to walk was one of his biggest challenges in his life. When he was born, it was told that he was going to be great and a success, but without the ability to walk there is not much that he would be able to do. When the King died, and Sundiata being in his condition, the kings first wife’s son Dankaran Touman took Sundiatas spot and became King. (pg 18)

Soggolon’s son was spoken of with nothing but irony and scorn. People had heard of one-eyed kings or one-armed kings, but a king without the ability to walk had never been heard of. Sundiatas inability to walk made him unfit to fight in wars to protect his empire, which in turn made him unfit to be the ruler of an empire. Because of the talk going around about Sundiata’s legs, him and his mother were banished to the back yard of the palace, away from everyone’s sight (pg 18). Sundiata’s inability to walk brought great sadness to his mother, she too had begun to give up on him. Then finally one day when Sundiata was eleven, he stood up and began to walk. His mother was upset that he could not bring her things like the other children did. That day Sundiata decided that he was going to walk to make his mother happy, and he did. (pg 20-21) Sundiata had then started to become more and more popular with the people of Mali. At this point Sundiata’s biggest challenge was overcome, but he would still face more later in his life.

The next challenges that Sundiata had faced were that people wanted him dead, and other people wanted him as far away from the empire as possible. With Sundiata’s growing popularity, it scared the queen mother who then wanted to kill him. Sassouma tried to get to witches to kill him, but when they saw the kind of person Sundiata was, they refused and retreated. (pg 26) Sundiata and his family were later exiled from Mali and left the empire. (pg 27) Seven years passed and Sundiata found himself in Djedeba. Here is where Sundiata faced another challenge, the King wanted to play a game with him, but if the King was to win, he got to kill Sundiata. Sundiata ended up winning, however, was not given the sword that was promised to him if he won. ( pg 30) Another big challenge that Sundiata had to face was defeating Soumaoro Kanté, King of Sosso. This brought deadly battles and attacks, but Sundiata had faced many other challenges, and he was fit to have taken on this, and succeed.

Through his childhood and adult life Sundiata had individuals who wanted to keep him from his full potential as King of Mali, Sundiata overcame these challenges and became a great king to the Kingdom of Mali. D. T. Niane says “his body became sturdy and his misfortunes made his mind wise” (pg 28). With Sundiata finally coming to power new villages and towns sprang up in Mali, traders became numerous. During the reign of Sundiata the world knew happiness. (pg 82).

Kingdom of Ghana

 Why was Ghana a wealthy State?

A lot of gold and salt is brought into the state and the trade is controlled by the King where he taxes the goods that are coming in or passing through. A lot of that was due to where it was located. The best gold was found in his land, his land was not the source of the gold, but it prospered from the gold coming in and out.

 How did the king of Ghana administer his state?

 The king of Ghana administers his state into two towns situated on a plain. One town is inhabited by Muslims that have 12 mosques where they assemble every Friday. The other town was the Kings town where it was a more luxurious town with gold. He administered his rule through large armies and Muslim officials. Over all he was a fair ruler and practiced religious tolerance.

 Discuss the role of Religion in Ghana?

 One town of Ghana was inhabited by those who were Muslim. There was also the King’s religion, African Traditional Religion, of which are allowed to wear fine clothing. There were also sorcerers living in the woods where no one was allowed to go. In the King’s town there is a mosque for those who are Muslim to pray in, that shows that he is not one to force the people in his state to practice the same religion as he does.

 How does this account reflect the social classes that were in Ghana

 The king and those who followed his religion were the only ones to where sewn clothing, all others wore robes/ The king is seen wearing necklaces and bracelets, he has ten horses covered in gold and has ten pages holding shields and swords made of gold. All high officials and important people were dressed in gold and had riches, other classes below him were more normal. A individuals class could be determined by the types of clothes they could afford.

 Discuss some of the preconceptions of Al-Bakri in this account?

He is using his own religion to make judgements on others. He states that women shave their heads and men shave their beards.

During this time, with the Freedmen’s Bureau Medical Program, the government was only supplying 100 doctors for the entire emancipated population of 4 million people. The original purpose for this was to stop the spread of diseases from entering white neighborhoods, but they did not want to provide constant support and have black individuals becoming dependent. They would open up these hospitals with a few doctors, but shut them down at the first sight of progress and refuse to send any more resources. Because of the lack of attention and resources being sent, black people continued to die at faster rates. Then because of these people dying at faster rates, the theory emerges that black people are not dying because of their lack of resources, but that nature is taking its course and black people are dying because they are inferior to white people. This is extremely sad to learn about. Those individuals were neglected by the government and left to die instead of supplying resources that were needed. The addition of this theory that blacks were inferior would also contribute to the ongoing segregation that black people would face for decades to come.

Women of Ancient Egypt

During the Dynastic Period in Ancient Egypt, women had led exciting independent lives. The women of Ancient Egypt had many roles throughout their lifetime, all considered to be of the upmost importance. These women took the title of mother, daughter, wife, and neighbor. The roles evolved as the women aged, but they all linked together, being very important in Egyptian society.

In order to be considered an adult in Ancient Egypt, a woman must get married and move out of her family home and into her matrimonial home. This step started her new life in society and earned her more respect. (pg. 45) Egyptian women were arranged to be married when they were young. Having just passed the stage of puberty, Egyptian women were married to neighbors of the same social standing. (pg. 45, 51) Although it was the daughters’ marriage, she did not play a role in choosing her husband. The father of the bride and the groom arranged the marriage including the payment of the dowry. (pg. 50) Women taking on this role of a wife was important because it either kept the family in the same social standing, or gave the family higher social standing (pg. 46). Being married and moving out also brought great honor to her family. With taking on the role of a wife, Egyptian women then took on the role of supporting her husband. In tombs, women were drawn standing behind their husbands symbolizing their support (pg. 20). Wives and daughters provided food and clothing for the man of the house when they set out on their adventures. They never went with him, but they stayed behind in order to run the home. (pg. 34) Women were also expected to support their husband in his chosen career. This also meant stepping in for their husbands when needed. For example, Henuttawi supervised the reception of two ships of grain per her husband, Esamenope’s, request (pg. 121). Also, wives of fisherman were expected to gut and sell the fish (pg. 137) Being married was an important role in Egyptian society and it gave women great honor and respect.

The most important role that a woman played in her life was the role of motherhood. A wife needed to have many children in order to please their husbands (pg.66). A women’s fertility contributed to attractiveness and success. A fertile woman was a successful woman, therefore earning her approval from society and her husband. (pg. 63, 66) Mothers took a big risk during childbirth to keep the family name alive. This risk would be taken many times because a woman would undergo “frequent and numerous pregnancies.” Being a mother meant caring for their own baby as well as caring for her sibling’s babies, her grandchildren, and her neighbor’s babies (pg. 80). Because of the mothers important and respected role, they were represented with honor on the tombs of their sons and husbands (pg. 66). A mother was so important in a child’s life that in the case of divorce, the mother would keep custody of her children. The mother was also responsible for their children’s upbringing and education. (pg. 60). Without women taking on the role of motherhood then Egyptian children would not be able to grow up and effectively contribute to society, or there wouldn’t be generations of children at all.

Other than being a mother, Egyptian women had other roles in society that came from the numerous jobs that they could obtain. Women who stayed home and did house work and domestic tasks were referred as the “Mistress of the House”, they ensured the smooth day-to-day running of her husband’s home (pg.82). Men were not well versed on the importance of a woman’s daily life, therefore it is not well documented. However, with women ensuring that a household was being looked after, that meant that the men were able to go out and improve Egyptian society, even though women were also improving it from the home as well. The role that a woman took depended on their social status as well as their education. Well educated women were domesticated administrators/supervisors, having appropriate skills led to weaving and other domestic jobs, and finally women with little to no training were domestic servants. (pg. 123) Being a maid or a servant was one of the more common jobs for women because anyone could find employment in domestic service. It was honorable work because it gave women a chance to contribute and support themselves and their families. Some women could be midwives or wet nurses, which expanded on the role of motherhood (pg. 72). Women had become professional mourners as well. Women would be hired to enhance the status of the deceased by openly grieving at their funeral. (pg. 132) This was an important role because death was taken seriously in Ancient Egypt, and honoring the dead was essential.

The different roles that Egyptian women held in Ancient Egypt were all important in contributing to the society at the time. Throughout a woman’s life she held many different roles that gave her a respected and honored standing. The importance of women’s roles may have not been well documented, but their effects on Egyptian society were prominent.

 

 

Works Cited

Tyldesley, Joyce A. Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt. Penguin Books, 1994.