Historical Event
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes flourish
From roughly the 8th through 16th centuries, a vast network of overland trade routes connected West African kingdoms to North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Caravans carried gold, salt, kola nuts, enslaved people, and manuscripts across the Sahara, linking civilizations across thousands of miles.
Why This Matters
These routes established West Africa as a hub of global commerce and intellectual exchange long before the transatlantic slave trade — the wealth, literacy, and connectivity they created are essential context for understanding what was disrupted by European colonialism.
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