Coastal Ghana
A View of Coastal Ghana
Thursday, July 15, 2010
An Introduction: Excerpt from my Application to TEA-IREX
When I first learned about the TEA-IREX program, I immediately made the decision to apply. Always on the lookout for professional development opportunities, I was especially intrigued. The possibility of working collaboratively with social studies educators from around the globe for the collective purpose of sharing ideas, developing global curricular approaches and potentially building long-term cross-cultural and intra-school relationships is at the heart of my interest. Moreover, when I discovered that possible exchange sites included the African countries of Ghana and Senegal, I was even more inspired to become a part of this program. I am deeply hopeful to establish professional relationships with African educators in order to better inform my own curriculum as an African Studies teacher and potentially develop opportunities for student-to-student, cross-cultural exchanges for the young people whom I teach.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Making U.S.-Ghana Connections: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Teacher Statement: Although every day of my TEA-IREX exchange offered me a new meaningful and enlightening experience, nothing impacted me more as a teacher and indeed a human being than my exploration of the slaving forts of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle. A veteran educator in both U.S. History and African Studies, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is a cornerstone of my annual curriculum due to its historical significance in both subject areas. My visits to the slaving forts, however, improved my understanding of this period in human history significantly. Moreover, the opportunity to explore these historic landmarks with my Ghanaian colleagues and to engage in collaborative discourse with them in order to share our own experiences, perceptions, historical knowledge and teaching practices led me to realize that one of the most effective ways of building U.S.-Ghana connections may indeed lay in its early beginnings—the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Thus, I have developed a comprehensive unit for U.S. teachers that emphasizes this relationship from its origins to its lasting impact on Africans and African-Americans alike.
Day 1: Early European Contact
This class period will be devoted to an interactive discussion of Early European contact with West Africa, utilizing the Powerpoint presentation entitled “European Contact with Africa”. Though the presentation compares and contrasts the motivations behind and subsequent actions of both Dutch and Portuguese contact, particular focus examines early Portuguese trade relations with the Gold Coast.
Homework: Students will read from textbook on the motivations behind the emergence of the slave trade in West Africa, with specific focus on the growing economic demand for labor in the New World.
Day 2: A Shift in Euro-African Relations: The Beginnings of the Slave Trade
(Powerpoint presentation entitled “Slavetrade, afst” Slides 1-5 will accompany this day’s lesson.)
•To begin this day’s lesson, the teacher will lead students through a conversation that will be ask then to reflect on the concept of ‘slavery’ as an economic system. Building on this, the teacher and students will construct an argument for why slavery became a preferred labor source of Europeans and American colonists to fuel economic growth in the Americas.
•Following this, the teacher will ask the following questions: Was the economic system of slavery an invention of the West? This question will launch a brief overview of the history of slavery as an institution in Africa prior to European contact. Using images of hieroglyphics and tomb drawings, the class will briefly revisit the early civilizations of Nubia and Egypt, both of which practiced slavery throughout their reign. (See images: Egyptian hieroglyphics and Kerma gravesite) We’ll also revisit the story of Queen Nzinga of Angola.
•Students will be led through an examination of how slavery was practiced in other parts of Africa prior to European contact.
•To segue into a discussion of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, students will view a map illustrating the flow of African slaves out of Africa to the Americas and the numbers (See Link Titled "Slave Voyages"). Further, the teacher will lead them through an examination of a statistical table compiled by Paul E. Lovejoy in his book, Transformations in Slavery. This table illustrates the vast number of Africans who were captured, sold and ultimately transported to the Americas. Ask students to reflect on the numbers and to think about how this population loss might impact the African continent as a whole in terms of political, social and economic development as well as African identity.
Homework: For tonight, students will be assigned the task of examining several maps produced by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Database. They will be asked to visit Maps # 5-9 (See Link Titled Maps). From this, students are encouraged to formulate a working thesis for each of the maps in an effort to convey the significance/relevance of the data. (i.e. What does each map essentially tell us? Can a specific argument about slavery be developed from these maps? If so, what?)
Day 3: Experiencing the Slave Trade- A look at Primary Sources
•Class will begin with slides 6-8 from “Slavetrade, afst” and a brief discussion of how African slaves were obtained, and the conditions of the slave forts and ships.
•To demonstrate the conditions and general policies of slaving forts, the teacher will lead students through a photographic slide show of two of the largest slaving forts on the Gold Coast—Elmina and Cape Coast Castle. This is a great way to emphasize the transformation of Elmina from a trading post created to better engage in West African gold trade to its eventual role as a depot for the Trans-Altantic Slave Trade. The teacher will describe in detail, the journey of a captive from his/her entry into the fort, to his/her eventual embarkation by ship to the Americas. (See Above: Slideshow of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle)
•For a discussion of the Middle Passage journey, a teacher with limited time may wish to show the first 15 minutes of the movie Amistad. However, I prefer an assignment that explores the narrative of Olaudah Equiano.
•Before the class engages in a reading of Equiano’s captivity and transport, require the students to find a seat underneath their desks/tables. Explain that although you understand that they are uncomfortable, they must remain under the tables, legs and arms inside for the duration of the assignment. Turn down the lights and read Equiano’s story aloud. When the reading is complete, ask your students to reflect on how they are feeling—are they uncomfortable? Use this simulation as a means to partially convey the usual conditions of transport upon slaving ships.
•Using primary source images from the TAST Database, emphasize the poor conditions of the slaving ships by analyzing European drawings of actual ships and their cargo. (See Link Titled "Sketches of Slave Ships-Database")
Day 4: African Beneficiaries of the Slave Trade: The Asante
•The class will begin with the reading of a BBC article written by Will Ross on the impact of slavery on Africa, (See Link Titled: )
•Slide #10 of “Slavetrade, afst” will be used to emphasize the measureable effects of the slave trade on Ghanaian society (i.e. emergence of slave kingdoms, shifting trade patterns, social prejudice, cross-cultural exchange, etc.) as suggested by Will Ross in his article. Particular attention should be given to the following quotation by historian Dr. Akosua Adoma Perbi of Ghana’s Legon University:
“The greater demand for slaves for the external market resulted in an increased tapping of the indigineous sources of slave supply…Incessant wars of conquest, expansion, aggression and retaliation became a feature of the Ghanaian experience.”
•In order to further illustrate the role that some African societies played in fueling the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the teacher will lead students through a powerpoint presentation and discussion of the evolution of the Asante culture in what is today present-day Ghana. (See slides entitled: “The Asante: A Kingdom of Slave Traders”) This should be followed up with the notion that the Asante are today the largest ethnic group in all of Ghana, and one of the last to be conquered by colonial England.
•As a class, students will watch a short video excerpt from Henry Louis Gates’ documentary, Wonders of the African World. The video clip, entitled “Poku on Ashanti [Asante] Role in Slave Trade” is based on an interview with the son of an Asantehene on the role of the Asante in the slave trade (See Link Titled: Wonders of the African World)
Homework: Relying on class discussions and supplemental materials, students will be asked to NY Times article “Ghana’s Uneasy Embrace of Slavery’s Diaspora” and Boston Globe article “Shackled to the Past” (See Links). Using these articles, the video clip and class discussion as their data sources, students will write a reflective/analytical essay in response to this quotation by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.:
“Slavery, we know, has left a hole in the hearts of African Americans. But it has also had the most devastating effects on the African societies left behind. Does legacy haunt Africa today? For even while guilt itself is not heritable, could it be that the consequences of that guilt somehow persist?"
Day 5: Assessing the Impact of the Slave Trade on Present-Day Generations
•To illustrate the impact of the slave trade on slave traders themselves, the students will begin class by listening to a recording of ‘Amazing Grace’ and learn the history behind John Newton’s famous hymn. (Newton was once a captain of a British slaving ship). Please See Link.
In small groups, have students decode the meaning of the lyrics within the greater
historical context of the slave trade and Newton’s life.
•The teacher will wrap up by restating Gates’ statement from the previous evening’s homework. Allow time for discussion before showing the film Family Across the Sea. This is a documentary that chronicles the work of Joseph Opala, a linguistic anthropologist who believes that he has discovered the African roots of the Gullah people, descendants of the slaves of the sea islands in SE United States. This film, which discusses the Bunce Island slave depot of the coast of Sierra Leone, will serve as a good source of comparison for the Gold Coast forts. Further, the film illustrates well the limitations of historical evidence surrounding African American origins as a result of the slave trade. It’s a great opportunity for an extension lesson on the constraints of conventional data analysis in piecing together Africa’s past. One can explore with her students, other more effective data when studying Africa (i.e. oral histories, linguistics, archaeology, paleontology, architecture, folkways, etc.)
Homework: Students will examine the validity of Opala’s discovery with an article that follows up his work- “Slave Girl’s Story Revealed Through Rare Records” and an interactive website called “Priscilla: A Slave Story” (See Link).
Day 6: The End of the Slave Trade
•Class will begin with Barack Obama’s speech at Cape Coast Castle in Summer of 2009. (See Obama Links) The teacher will lead the class through an interactive discussion about the end of the slave trade with the assistance of powerpoint presentation entitled “The End of the Slave Trade”. We will explore the economic, political and social conditions that contributed to England’s 1807 law abolishing the trade of slaves, though not slavery itself. At the heart of the discussion should be the following question: Was England’s motivation behind its abolition of the slave trade one that was based on morality or something else?
To explore this question more deeply, and to further examine the economic consequences that resulted from England’s decision, students will be assigned roles for a debate to be held on Day 6. The format of the debate is laid out below:
Slavery Debate
African Studies
The Problem: The year is 1809. It has been two years since the British Empire abolished the slave trade with its passage of the Slave Trade Act. Though England has yet to formally outlaw the act of slavery completely, it has taken itself out of the trade of slaves. To enforce this law, the British government has formed an anti-slavery squadron of ships that have begun to patrol the West African coast. Any merchant vessels encountered by the squadron and discovered to have any ties to England and/or British citizens aboard will be captured, the ship seized and cargo returned to the African coast. British citizens will be summarily tried in a court of law. Furthermore, any African leaders who refuse to do agree to Britain’s abolition of the slave trade will suffer possible action in the form of economic, political and potentially violent response.
Understanding that British merchants still dabbling in the slave trade will take any measures necessary to hide their continued involvement, the British government reserves the right to stop any and all merchant ships in this region in order to search for British citizens. Non-British ships will be released following a thorough search of its contents.
Setting the Scene: Though the year is 1809, what if we could have a debate that included interested parties both from that time through present day? If, for example, Frederick Douglass could have weighed in on the issue, or Olaudah Equiano, what might they have added to the conversation? How about Prince Abdul Rahman or Henry Louis Gates, Jr.?
For tomorrow, we will hold an in-class debate over the recent actions of the British government. Each of you will be assigned a specific character—past, present or future. You will be expected to do some minimal research in order to determine your character’s opinion on these recent events. In addition to this, you will need to write a one-page position paper in the voice of your character. In preparation for the debate, be able to answer the following questions:
•What is the immediate concern?
•How am I affected by this, either directly or indirectly?
•What are the economic, political and social implications of England’s actions? Do these concern me at all?
•Who might my allies be in the room tomorrow? Who will my greatest opponents be?
•What do I want the people in that room to know? In other words, what is my most convincing evidence and how can I present it?
Grading: You will be graded on the following criteria—
•Strength and cohesiveness of your argument, both written and spoken
•Historical accuracy---Have you effectively represented your character?
•Analytical reasoning (Taking what you already know and applying it to a real situation)
•Critical listening skills—Have you demonstrated an understanding of the ideas/thoughts of the others in the class and incorporated their arguments into your own discussion?
•Eloquence and confidence in your speech—Do you speak with confidence and clarity?
Characters:
British Intellectual
British Government Official
Benin Oba
Spanish Slave Trader
Asantehene
French Slave Trader
Portuguese Slave Trader
French Plantation Owner/West Indies
British Slave Trader
Prince Abdul Rahman
Equiano’s Mother
Olaudah Equiano
Owner of an American Tobacco Plantation in 1809
A 21st century Descendant of Abdul Rahman
Frederick Douglass
Benjamin Franklin
John Henry Newton
Priscilla
William Lloyd Garrison
Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Professor Joseph Opala
John Newton
Day 6: Debating England’s Anti-Slavery Squadron
Class time will be used for engaging students in the assigned debate. Allow 5-10 minutes at the end of class to debrief and make connections.
Day 7: Slavery’s Lasting Legacy
On this day, the teacher will work to wrap up the week’s examination of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Class time will be used to reflect on the impact that slavery had on the African nations themselves. The class will revisit Henry Louis Gates’ quotation from Day 4.
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