The Gold Salt Trade in The Gold Salt Trade in West AfricaWest Africa

The Gold Salt TradeThe Gold Salt Trade•The Gold Salt Trade also known as the Trans-Saharan Trade because merchants crossed the Sahara Desert

•Salt was produced in the North (Sahara region)

•Gold was mined in West Africa

GOLD

SALT

West African Kingdoms

Why was gold and salt so Why was gold and salt so valued?valued?

Gold was not found in North AfricaGold was not found in North Africa North Africans valued gold as a currencyNorth Africans valued gold as a currency

Salt was scarce in West AfricaSalt was scarce in West Africa West Africans valued salt because:West Africans valued salt because:

IIt was used to preserve and flavor foodt was used to preserve and flavor food

In the hot climate people sweat a lot, so it In the hot climate people sweat a lot, so it was important to replacewas important to replace fluids (salt helps fluids (salt helps to regulate the body and hydration of the to regulate the body and hydration of the body)body)

““The Middlemen”The Middlemen”

The West Africa Kingdoms of The West Africa Kingdoms of GhanaGhana, , MaliMali, , SonghaiSonghai were in the middle of the were in the middle of the Gold-Salt TradeGold-Salt Trade

These kingdoms gained wealth by These kingdoms gained wealth by taxing the trade that went on in their taxing the trade that went on in their territory territory

The Gold Salt TradeThe Gold Salt Trade

GOLD

SALT

West African Kingdoms

SILENT Trade SILENT Trade The Ghana King established a system of silent barter. The Ghana King established a system of silent barter. WHY?WHY?

To prevent arguments over priceTo prevent arguments over price Traders of Ghana often couldn’t speak the language of Traders of Ghana often couldn’t speak the language of

merchants from other areas of Africamerchants from other areas of Africa

HOW did the trade work?HOW did the trade work? Gold would be left at a special place for the traders to Gold would be left at a special place for the traders to

take.take. If ample goods (salt, etc.) were not left in exchange, all If ample goods (salt, etc.) were not left in exchange, all

trade stopped. trade stopped. Silent barter worked well. Silent barter worked well. Traders were afraid to leave too little. They knew Traders were afraid to leave too little. They knew

Ghana would stop trading. If anything, they left more Ghana would stop trading. If anything, they left more than they normally would, to keep relations good and than they normally would, to keep relations good and trade flowing. trade flowing.

TradingTradingOBJECTIVE:OBJECTIVE: You will be involved in a small scale You will be involved in a small scale

version of the gold-salt tradeversion of the gold-salt trade

The goal is to get the good that you do The goal is to get the good that you do not have (either gold or salt)not have (either gold or salt)

TASK:TASK: Work with the person sitting next to youWork with the person sitting next to you

Give one person all of the salt cards Give one person all of the salt cards (representing N. Africa) and the other (representing N. Africa) and the other person gets all of the gold cards person gets all of the gold cards (representing W. Africa)(representing W. Africa)

The person with the salt cards will start by The person with the salt cards will start by putting a certain number of salt cards on putting a certain number of salt cards on the tablethe table

The person with the gold cards will respond The person with the gold cards will respond by putting gold cards on the tableby putting gold cards on the table

If each side agrees to the amount offered, If each side agrees to the amount offered, your trade has been successful. If not, you your trade has been successful. If not, you need to renegotiate need to renegotiate

REMEMBER…this is a silent trade so NO REMEMBER…this is a silent trade so NO Talking!Talking!