African & African American Resources for Early Modern History

African & African American Resources for Early Modern History | Heritage Mom

source: https://heritagemom.com/index.php/2020/05/27/african-african-american-resources-for-early-modern-history/

Finding black history resources for Early Modern History* (800 A.D. - 1650 A.D.) has not been easy. In fact, it's been the toughest time period I've worked with so far. There are less resources - or at least they've been more difficult to find - and I am quite ignorant about this time period myself, so I wasn't even sure what I was looking for in the beginning. But now that I've been digging in, I'm super excited to learn alongside my children next school year.

If you're looking for black history resources for a Modern History rotation (late 1800's - 1900's), please check out Infusing Black History Into a Traditional Charlotte Mason Homeschool. Or you may prefer a gentle start with African American culture books for your early elementary children. But if you're already in the right place, grab a cup of tea, and let's get to it!

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These are the African and African-American history books I'm planning to use for this time period:

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay This one immediately caught my eye because it's written by one of our favorite authors, Patricia McKissack, and her husband.

"The medieval kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay grew rich on the gold, salt, and slave trade that stretched across Africa. Scraping away hundreds of years of ignorance, prejudice, and mythology the authors...reveal the glory of these forgotten empires while inviting us to share in the inspiring process of historical recovery that is taking place today."

How I plan to use this book: We'll cover part of this book over the course of the school year as I plan to read 4-5 pages a week aloud followed by written narrations. My 1a (2nd grade) child will listen in on the readings, but if he was my only or oldest I would save this book for later and read A Glorious Age (below) to him. Because my older kids will be reading A Glorious Age, my weekly readings from The Royal Kingdoms will focus on areas not covered in that book . Heads up: ***Page 75 discusses the risk of execution for premarital sex.***

"For well over a thousand years, from about A.D. 500 to 1700, the civilizations of western Africa flourished.

Most of us know nothing about them.

During the same period, Europe suffered from constant warfare and only slowly recovered its lost glory. The history of the "Dark Ages" and the Renaissance is taught in every school. Most of Africa's history, except for that of Egypt, remains unknown to general readers."

A Glorious Age in Africa: The Story of Three Great African Empires I first came across this book when I was searching for titles from Zenith Books, a former imprint under Doubleday aimed at African American youth, as I've had great success with those. The first edition (1965) of this book came up and I ordered it, but what I received was the edition republished by Africa World Press (1990). It was the seller's mistake, but I went ahead and kept the newer paperback because it has the original text and illustrations.

"This book reveals the magnificent history and heritage of Africa, destroying, once and for all, the centuries-old, still lingering myth that Africa "was a continent without history." Here is a fascinating account of the Africans from the 8th to the 16th century, highlighted by the successive rise of three Sudanese empires that at their height were the equal of any contemporary civilization in Europe or Asia."

How I plan to use this book: My 2b (4th grade) and 2a (5th grade) children will have assigned reading from this book each term. Sometimes they'll read it to themselves, and other times they'll read it to me or each other. [Term 1: Ghana. Term 2: Mali. Term 3: Songhay.] They'll do oral narrations after reading this book and written narrations after I read aloud from The Royal Kingdoms above.

Mansa Musa and The Empire of Mali: A True Story of Gold and Greatness from Africa. The aforementioned books are quite text-heavy, so I chose this less dense biography to help round out our study. Mansa Musa is often described as the wealthiest individual of the Middle Ages (or in the history of the world), and he is about the only person covered in this entire time period that I was already familiar with. Sad, I know. Because of his fame, there are many Mansa Musa videos available on Youtube and BrainPop** to help add to your lessons.

"Oliver's well-researched biography of Mansa Musa reads like an exotic tale of gold, glory, and adventure. During his long reign as Mali's emperor, Mansa Musa led his empire into its Golden Age; presided over a spectacular, 60,000 person, 9,000 mile pilgrimage; founded a university in Timbuktu; and helped revolutionize architecture across the Sudan...Many of the African ancestors of today's African-Americans came from West Africa. From 700 - 1600 A. D., one after the other, three great, black, commercial empires dominated West Africa...At its height, the Empire of Mali was the size of all of Western Europe. Well-crafted and fast paced, Oliver's book is enhanced by a liberal sprinkling of enjoyable drawings, clear and helpful maps, and interesting photos."

How I plan to use this book: I will read this biography aloud for my 1a son towards the end of Term 2. My Form II daughters will have the choice to listen in or read it on their own, and they can choose either option each week. I offer this choice on some books because, while they can read it alone, I don't want to turn them away while I'm reading to their brother if they just want to join us some days. Either one is fine with me. The weeks that they do read on their own, they'll all narrate together so my son can hear his sisters' narrations.

Sundiata: Lion King of Mali Sundiata was the founder of the Malian Empire, great-uncle of the more well-known Mansa Musa, and the basis of the Disney movie, The Lion King. How could I not include his awesome story in this year's lessons? And yes, we'll definitely pop some popcorn and watch the movie again, through a different lens, after reading this book.

" In the thirteenth century, Sundiata overcame physical handicaps, social disgrace, and strong opposition to rule the West African trading empire of Mali. "

How I plan to use this book: This is a brightly-colored picture book with full-page cut paper collages that I'll read to my 1a son in Term 2. When I'm done witih it, I'll casually leave it on the family room table, ensuring that my older kids will grab it without me assigning it. Don't you love how that works?

Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. I chose this story because it's written as a tale rich with dialogue and descriptive storytelling. I knew for sure that we were going to read about Mansa Musa, so I was hoping to zero in on a person from the kingdoms of Ghana or Songhay, but I just wasn't able to find the right book. Despite so much focus on Mali in our plans, I'm still looking forward to reading this book.

"Retold by griots, the guardians of African Culture, this oral tradition has been handed down from the thirteenth century and captures all the mystery and majesty of medieval African kingship. It is the epic tale, based on an actual figure, of Sundiata (Sunjata). Part history and part legend, it tells how Sundiata fulfilled the prophesies that he would unite the twelve kingdoms of Mali into a powerful empire."

How I plan to use this book: I haven't decided whether I'm going to read this aloud to my older kids or assign it for them to read alone or aloud to me, but I'm definitely leaning towards reading it to them. It's a story passed on through an oral tradition of storytelling, and I think I can help bring it alive if I read aloud. I see that this book is a lot more than it was when I purchased at $7.50 a few months ago. I'm not sure what happened so quickly. Maybe it's now being included on a curriculum booklist that I'm unaware of?

They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America. I picked this book because it's intriguing, compelling, and highly rated. It's a great addition to our home library that we can can pull from and return to over time.

"They Came Before Columbus reveals a compelling, dramatic, and superbly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of Africans in ancient America. Examining navigation and shipbuilding; cultural analogies between Native Americans and Africans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textiles between the continents; and the diaries, journals, and oral accounts of the explorers themselves, Ivan Van Sertima builds a pyramid of evidence to support his claim of an African presence in the New World centuries before Columbus. In They Came Before Columbus, we see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint of black Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact on the civilizations they encountered."

How I plan to use this book: This book fascinates me because it has so many stories that I've never encountered in my entire education. I will read this book cover to cover in June/July so that I'm bathed in the information before I begin teaching this time period. As I read, I'll highlight sections to read aloud to my children. I'll be looking for areas that provide further detail to other people and events we'll be studying and stories that will help bring this rarely-discussed element of history to life for them. Older students (high school or mature middle school readers) could be assigned this rich book to read through on their own. This is not a book that I could see any elementary students reading on their own, but older elementary kids that are used to this type of material likely won't have any issues if Mom is reading.

Nzingha, a part of The Royal Diaries series, is a fictional diary of a real female figure of royalty as a child. It's a spin-off of the Dear America series, and we've thoroughly enjoyed some of those so I'm hoping to have similar success with these. [Side note: It's also written by Patricia McKissack who wrote The Royal Kingdoms above and our favorite Dear America book, The Diary of Clotee, A Slave Girl.] This book will be scheduled for Term 3.

In fairness, I want to share that some Charlotte Mason moms don't consider Dear America books to be quality living books. My opinion: All of these books are written by different authors, and I've found that the quality varies. That being said, sometimes it feels like we (CM mamas) speak disdainfully on any books that are fun. I think books can be quality AND fun...and isn't it great when they're both? For the record, I think this is a living book, and even if not, it's most certainly a Life-Giving Book, and those play a significant role in our home.

"As the Portuguese slave traders find their way to the city of Angola in West Africa, young Nzinga, daughter of King Kiluanji, must face up to the dangers around her and find a way to help lead her father's people through this tragic period."

Anacaona, another book from The Royal Diaries series, was written by black Haitian-American author, Edwidge Danticat. Anacaona is quite an interesting historical figure. Native Americans consider her one of their own, yet she's also hailed as a black or Afro-Carribean heroine. An academic paper on Anacaona is housed under the Oxford African American Studies Center by the Oxford University Press, but she's also listed as a Native American we should celebrate instead of Columbus. I find many examples of this dual-identity online. I don't know. She could be one or the other, but maybe she's both. I'll continue to do more reseach this summer, but I'm 100% just as happy to read this book even if she wasn't black. After black history, Native American history is our most-studied and enjoyed history. And when my girls see the cover of this book, it's going to be a wrap! She looks amazing.

"One of the greatest historical travesties is the lack of recognition and record of prominent figures from the indigenous North American people-especially women. In school, everyone learns about Christopher Columbus' voyage, but few are fortunate enough to learn the history behind the Native American tribes that inhabited the land we stand on today."

Dawn Day,

5 Amazing Indigenous Women To Celebrate Instead Of Christopher Columbus

"With her signature narrative grace, Edwidge Danticat brings Haiti's beautiful queen Anacaona to life. Queen Anacaona was the wife of one of her island's rulers, and a composer of songs and poems, making her popular among her people. Haiti was relatively quiet until the Spanish conquistadors discovered the island and began to settle there in 1492. The Spaniards treated the natives very cruelly, and when the natives revolted, the Spanish governor of Haiti ordered the arrests of several native nobles, including Anacaona, who was eventually captured and executed, to the horror of her people."

How I plan to use both Nzingha and Anacaona: I'm thankful that my children adore historical fiction because the books end up feeling like dessert to accompany a good, healthy meal. Notice that I said dessert and not candy. Think of a luscious, decadent dessert - not cheap dime-store candy. The girls would read as many of these books as I find to put before them, and because they enjoy them so much, their tendency is to gobble. I provide them plenty of other free reads to do with as they please (gobble, gobble, gobble), but I schedule their historical fiction readings out because slow reading matters more than we expect. Anacaona will be read in Term 1 and Nzingha in Term 3.

This is what I have planned so far, and I hope you're able to find something useful from the research I've done for this time period. School hasn't started yet, and we can certainly introduce new books within the school year, so please add to the conversation in the comments if you have ideas I haven't listed.

Additional Notes:

*This time period corresponds to the following:

Alveary (Charlotte Mason Institute) - Cycle 1 - 800 A.D. - 1650 A.D. A Delectable Education - 1000 to 1650 Ambleside Online - Years 1-3,7,8 Simply Charlotte Mason - Middle Ages/Renaissance/Reformation/Epistles and Early Modern/Epistles (The time period I'm covering is encompassed within these 2 rotations which span earlier and later when combined.)

** BrainPop This subscription includes extras like quizzes, worksheets, vocabulary, challenges, etc. Honestly, I've never looked at any of those things. I just play a relevant video during our school time when I find one that aligns with what we discussed that day. The videos cover Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Engineering & Tech, and I find that we use the Social Studies section most (because...history). My kids LOVE these videos, and I like that it's a subscription-based website/app with absolutely no outside ads. As always, you should still preview the videos for use with your family.

*** "Amber, you seem to have plans to read several of these books aloud. Aren't your older girls supposed to be reading their school books on their own by this age?" I hear you. Check outTo Read Aloud, or Not To Read Aloudif you'd like to hear my thoughts on why I'm reading some of these books aloud to my older children.

Disclaimer: I have not read these books cover to cover. I'll eventually pre-read some of them, but I can't do it all at once up front. I normally don't share books here until after I've read them, but so many of my online and in real life friends are covering the same historical time period in the fall, and they are planning right now. Please know that if I find something egregious within the pages of any of my recommendations, I'll run back here and update the post. I don't anticipate that happening though because I have all of the books sitting here with me, and I've done a pretty thorough preview of each one.

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