Tuesday, November 30, 2010
People of the Kongo - Abby
I studied the Kongo Kingdom in Central Africa, in the time-frame of 1500-1700. Lets start at the earliest time, 1500. In the 1500 the Kongo was at its best point from a living sort of view. The area spanned at about 115,000 square miles. To understand lots of this paragraph you will need to know how the Kongo’s Government worked. It worked similar to Ancient China’s Government. There was one big king, and he appointed several smaller kings to dictate over different parts of the country. Each smaller area of the Kongo contributed different things. Some dried fish, others made pottery or baskets. So, back to the historical events. Eventually, a Portuguese explorer came to the Kongo and explained his beliefs. The main Kongo King was impressed and he ended up taking up these beliefs. The next king only knew of Christianity, and frowned upon many of the Kongo people who didn’t believe in Christianity. Going back to the Portuguese, many of the African people wondered how they were getting so rich. Some, quite sadly knew the answer. The Portuguese were stealing Africans and bringing them back to Europe as slaves. Those are some cool facts about the Kongo Kingdom, Central Africa.
Kongo by Melanie
Founded by the Bakongo Tribe in the 14th century, the Kongo people lived in West Central Africa near the Atlantic Ocean and the Kongo River. This tribe had an interesting yet violent history. In these paragraphs you will learn about the Bakongo Tribe and its peaceful as well as dangerous past.
The Bakongo Tribe made the most of their surroundings. One of the benefits of living by oceans and rivers is that there are more animals to hunt, so the Kongo People always had food. They also fished for food or ate their domesticated animals if there wasn’t enough game to hunt.
The rivers and oceans were also helpful for transportation by boat. People came by boat to the Kongo Kingdom to trade with the Kongo people. The Europeans and Portuguese traded with them for copper, ivory, and slaves in for jewelry and clothing. The Europeans also brought Christianity and new weapons to the Kongo Kingdom.
The Portuguese originally had a good relationship with the Kingdom of Kongo, but over time, that friendship changed because the Portuguese got greedier and more interested in making money off of the Africans instead of helping them. The slave trade provided the most money for the Portuguese. The Kongo Kingdom’s nearness to the Atlantic Ocean made it the perfect place to capture slaves. Slaves were taken from their prison cells and shipped back to Europe in exchange for goods. When the Europeans got greedier and wanted more slaves, they started convincing innocent people to commit crimes so they would go to prison. This ultimately gave the Europeans more slaves. The population in the Kongo Kingdom decreased and they got weaker, but the Europeans kept on demanding more slaves. When the Kongo Kingdom finally said “no” the Europeans found another way to get slaves from them by attacking and declaring war. The Portuguese started taking people and forcing them to become slaves. From the 1650’s to the 19th century, ten millionslaves were taken from Africa. Out of the eight different parts of Africa that the slaves were taken from, Kongo lead with thirty nine percent, contributing to the million people that were taken. The slaves were sent to sugar, coffee, cotton, and coco plantations. They also worked in the rice fields, construction, mines, and servants in houses.
Before the Kongo Kingdom fell apart, they had a fairly well-organized society. At the top of the Social Hierarchy was the Mani-Kongos or Kings, who ruled the Kongo Kingdom. The next most powerful groups were the Provencial Governers and the Aristocatic. After them came the Village Chiefs, who were in charge of individual villages. The lowest place in the Social Hierarchy were the Villagers, who paid all of the taxes and, in turn, got gifts from the Mani-Kongo.
As you can plainly see the Kongo people survived despite attacks on their country and people. They had a wealth of natural resources, survival techniques and a well-organized society. Despite the troubles in their past they have survived and remain an important part of West Africa.
Rights
Fine arts
Transport
HOUSING
Food
Religion
The Bakongo Tribe made the most of their surroundings. One of the benefits of living by oceans and rivers is that there are more animals to hunt, so the Kongo People always had food. They also fished for food or ate their domesticated animals if there wasn’t enough game to hunt.
The rivers and oceans were also helpful for transportation by boat. People came by boat to the Kongo Kingdom to trade with the Kongo people. The Europeans and Portuguese traded with them for copper, ivory, and slaves in for jewelry and clothing. The Europeans also brought Christianity and new weapons to the Kongo Kingdom.
The Portuguese originally had a good relationship with the Kingdom of Kongo, but over time, that friendship changed because the Portuguese got greedier and more interested in making money off of the Africans instead of helping them. The slave trade provided the most money for the Portuguese. The Kongo Kingdom’s nearness to the Atlantic Ocean made it the perfect place to capture slaves. Slaves were taken from their prison cells and shipped back to Europe in exchange for goods. When the Europeans got greedier and wanted more slaves, they started convincing innocent people to commit crimes so they would go to prison. This ultimately gave the Europeans more slaves. The population in the Kongo Kingdom decreased and they got weaker, but the Europeans kept on demanding more slaves. When the Kongo Kingdom finally said “no” the Europeans found another way to get slaves from them by attacking and declaring war. The Portuguese started taking people and forcing them to become slaves. From the 1650’s to the 19th century, ten millionslaves were taken from Africa. Out of the eight different parts of Africa that the slaves were taken from, Kongo lead with thirty nine percent, contributing to the million people that were taken. The slaves were sent to sugar, coffee, cotton, and coco plantations. They also worked in the rice fields, construction, mines, and servants in houses.
Before the Kongo Kingdom fell apart, they had a fairly well-organized society. At the top of the Social Hierarchy was the Mani-Kongos or Kings, who ruled the Kongo Kingdom. The next most powerful groups were the Provencial Governers and the Aristocatic. After them came the Village Chiefs, who were in charge of individual villages. The lowest place in the Social Hierarchy were the Villagers, who paid all of the taxes and, in turn, got gifts from the Mani-Kongo.
As you can plainly see the Kongo people survived despite attacks on their country and people. They had a wealth of natural resources, survival techniques and a well-organized society. Despite the troubles in their past they have survived and remain an important part of West Africa.
Rights
Fine arts
Transport
HOUSING
Food
Religion
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Yruba People
What I Learned About The Yoruba People
I learned the following about the Yoruba People:
Ajogeebo the Performer
If you mentioned the name Funmi Ojediran (nee Oje) in Oyo, it might not ring a bell. But if you mentioned the name “Ajogeebo”, which means “one who dances before foreigners and taken her dance to foreign land,” everybody would know whom you are talking about.
Funmi Ojediran (nee Oje), is a multi- talented artist, and able to adapt performer. She is a leading promoter of Igba titi music, and dance.
The Igba Dance
Igba titi, is a form of entertainment, which originated from a woman of the Oyo Palace. The Royal wives and princesses (Aya Oba and Omo Oba Obirin), perform this dance mainly to entertain themselves, and at special occasions, such as weddings, naming ceremonies of princes and princesses, the burial of members of the royal family, and on state occasions.
The Instrument
Igba titi musical instruments are made up of hollow wooden mortar filled water, then a hollow calabash is place upside down in the mortar. The player uses a thin stick made from cane to beat the calabash to produce the main beat. Metal rings are worn on the fingers to beat the softer notes.
Performances at the Palace
At the palace, there are always performing artists completing daily performances for the king, and visitors. There are musicians, and drummers who play bata dundun music, dancers, and official praise chanters.
The Compounds
In the Isale Oyo area, there are many compounds where woman make local soap, and cosmetics. The ancient Akesan market near the palace is a place to discover all these, and then some.
The Duundun and Bata Drums
Brass works of many different shapes tied to the duundun, and bata drums, had their origin in old Oyo. As the present Sovereign Head of State reminded, there is old Oyo saying that “Ilu ti ni agogo ide, kose iluwa, ilu ti oni se aworo koso ilu ti wa ide.” “The drum that has no brass bells and other fancy decorations is not ours.”
I learned the following about the Yoruba People:
Ajogeebo the Performer
If you mentioned the name Funmi Ojediran (nee Oje) in Oyo, it might not ring a bell. But if you mentioned the name “Ajogeebo”, which means “one who dances before foreigners and taken her dance to foreign land,” everybody would know whom you are talking about.
Funmi Ojediran (nee Oje), is a multi- talented artist, and able to adapt performer. She is a leading promoter of Igba titi music, and dance.
The Igba Dance
Igba titi, is a form of entertainment, which originated from a woman of the Oyo Palace. The Royal wives and princesses (Aya Oba and Omo Oba Obirin), perform this dance mainly to entertain themselves, and at special occasions, such as weddings, naming ceremonies of princes and princesses, the burial of members of the royal family, and on state occasions.
The Instrument
Igba titi musical instruments are made up of hollow wooden mortar filled water, then a hollow calabash is place upside down in the mortar. The player uses a thin stick made from cane to beat the calabash to produce the main beat. Metal rings are worn on the fingers to beat the softer notes.
Performances at the Palace
At the palace, there are always performing artists completing daily performances for the king, and visitors. There are musicians, and drummers who play bata dundun music, dancers, and official praise chanters.
The Compounds
In the Isale Oyo area, there are many compounds where woman make local soap, and cosmetics. The ancient Akesan market near the palace is a place to discover all these, and then some.
The Duundun and Bata Drums
Brass works of many different shapes tied to the duundun, and bata drums, had their origin in old Oyo. As the present Sovereign Head of State reminded, there is old Oyo saying that “Ilu ti ni agogo ide, kose iluwa, ilu ti oni se aworo koso ilu ti wa ide.” “The drum that has no brass bells and other fancy decorations is not ours.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
England: Queens and Clothes
I studied England. The two different topics from England, queens, and clothes.
The first queen I studied was Queen “Bloody” Mary. Mary was crowned queen after her brother Edward died, and her cousin Jane was deposed. Mary was catholic, so when she became queen in 1553 she wanted to bring back Roman Catholicism. There were protesters to Mary’s beliefs. Mary would burn anyone who protested against her.
Mary married a man named Phillip II of Spain. Phillip left Mary when he found out she couldn’t have a baby.
Later on Mary died of cancer at age 42, and her sister Elizabeth took over after her.
When Elizabeth was queen it was known as the Golden Age. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII, and the sister of Mary. The people loved her. The people surrounding her wanted her executed, but the people who didn’t know her liked her being queen. She was put on the throne in 1559. She excepted Catholic Churches. Elizabeth believed that women should have just as much power as men.
I also studied clothes. I learned that men wore knee length trousers called breeches, and linen shirts. Men also wore their hair long and had beards. Women wore a nightgown called a shift with a long dress over it. The women's dresses were in two parts. The parts were called the bodice and the skirt. In the late 17th century, the men wore a three piece suit, and did not wear knickers. In the mid 17th century, women wore black patches on their faces that were crescent moons or little stars. Women wore frames for their skirts, and the frames were made from whale bone. Frames are put under a women's dress to make it puff out.
That is what I learned about England.
By Claire
The first queen I studied was Queen “Bloody” Mary. Mary was crowned queen after her brother Edward died, and her cousin Jane was deposed. Mary was catholic, so when she became queen in 1553 she wanted to bring back Roman Catholicism. There were protesters to Mary’s beliefs. Mary would burn anyone who protested against her.
Mary married a man named Phillip II of Spain. Phillip left Mary when he found out she couldn’t have a baby.
Later on Mary died of cancer at age 42, and her sister Elizabeth took over after her.
When Elizabeth was queen it was known as the Golden Age. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII, and the sister of Mary. The people loved her. The people surrounding her wanted her executed, but the people who didn’t know her liked her being queen. She was put on the throne in 1559. She excepted Catholic Churches. Elizabeth believed that women should have just as much power as men.
I also studied clothes. I learned that men wore knee length trousers called breeches, and linen shirts. Men also wore their hair long and had beards. Women wore a nightgown called a shift with a long dress over it. The women's dresses were in two parts. The parts were called the bodice and the skirt. In the late 17th century, the men wore a three piece suit, and did not wear knickers. In the mid 17th century, women wore black patches on their faces that were crescent moons or little stars. Women wore frames for their skirts, and the frames were made from whale bone. Frames are put under a women's dress to make it puff out.
That is what I learned about England.
By Claire
Central Africa Food, By Layla
Central Africa Food
Layla
The animals that were hunted were not domestic, so they hunted practically anything.
The food that they hunted was not domestic, making it harder to find food in the
Winter. The climate was a big part of there lives, if it got to cold then the
animals would move to try to go to a hotter place, or (vice versa) so the people would
have to follow them to survive. Some of the animals that they had then for food are
extinct now because they were a huge food source.
Hunting back then was mostly small game rabbits, pheasants, geese, ducks, etc.
But sometimes hunters brought back big game like bears, elk, etc.. Central Africa is not
really like this anymore, though some people still hunt for food.
Sadly, back then people started hunting elephants for their tusk’s that are made of
Ivory it is illegal now but tragically people still do it. Gladly people are trying to stop
poachers from doing it. So please try to stop people from doing this.
Layla
The animals that were hunted were not domestic, so they hunted practically anything.
The food that they hunted was not domestic, making it harder to find food in the
Winter. The climate was a big part of there lives, if it got to cold then the
animals would move to try to go to a hotter place, or (vice versa) so the people would
have to follow them to survive. Some of the animals that they had then for food are
extinct now because they were a huge food source.
Hunting back then was mostly small game rabbits, pheasants, geese, ducks, etc.
But sometimes hunters brought back big game like bears, elk, etc.. Central Africa is not
really like this anymore, though some people still hunt for food.
Sadly, back then people started hunting elephants for their tusk’s that are made of
Ivory it is illegal now but tragically people still do it. Gladly people are trying to stop
poachers from doing it. So please try to stop people from doing this.
West Africa Empires, Food and Drinks, and Tribes By Boniat
The Empire of Ghana was the first Empire of the 3 Great West African Empires.
The government of the empire of Ghana was simple, the kingdoms were divided into districts, and there was a district leader for every district. The king of that time was head of government and most people obeyed the laws. The army had great military power. “Legend has it the king could order 200,000 warriors and 40,000 more with bows and arrows.” Daily life was basic people were farmers, miners, artists etc, hard workers sang, and laughed. “Had fresh fruit and sweet potatoes,” and the Niger River provided water for farming, bathing, washing, and fish. There were griots who were storytellers; the responsibility of a griot is to pass on stories from tradition to tradition and generation to generation. Kids instead of going to school stayed home and listened to griots.
Ancient Ghana is north and west of present day Ghana. The Soninke between 300 and 500, using their iron weapons, conquered Ghana, Ghana using only their wooden weapons were defeated.
Gold was a meaningful word in Ghana; in mid 1000’s the ruler was called King of Gold. Ghana used to mean “warrior king” now it means “gold.”
Salt was a need to have “They traded the gold from the south for the salt from North Africa.” It was a silent trade because of the lack of language. They would leave their trade then examine what they got “if they believed that it was an even trade the transition was complete if not process was repeated until agreement was reached.” Slaves were also on the market. In the capitol city, Kumbi, and by Ghanaians, slaves were sold and bought by eager North African merchants. Slaves had existed for hundreds of years, they were enslaved when captured during wars. Africans enslaved other Africans but “most were able to earn or buy their freedom at some point.”
North Africans were followers of Muhammad; Islam. “They believed they had a duty to spread Islam; peacefully if possible or by a holy war, called a jihad, if necessary.” In the 1000’s Almoravid’s (The North African Muslims) did a jihad against Ghana. In the year 1062 the leader Abu Bakr led the invasion to Kumbi in the end the Almoravids destroyed the capitol and killed anyone who refused to accept Islam. Abu died and ended the Almoravids control over Ghana. But then in 1235 invaders from Mali came to Ghana.
Mali was the second of the 3 Great West African Empires.
By oral tradition is a how we got our knowledge of Mali; from griots. “Sundiata- a prince- was spared by a cruel conqueror- Sumanguru- when he enslaved Sundiata’s people.” In 1235 he lead a revolt against the cruel conqueror during the final battle between Sundiata and Sumanguru, Sundiata won and was crowned the new ruler. “As the new ruler he included Ghana into his kingdom which he named Mali.” Unlike Ghanaians the people of Mali chose to switch to Islam, but inherited the trading system from Ghana.
The Ruler of West African Empire of Mali, Mansa Musa went on a hajj (journey) to Mecca. Legend has it that he rode a on a caravan consisted of 60,000 people. He took along slaves and his rivals so they couldn’t harm his power at home. They arrived in Egypt and gave the people there gold, in result of the journey Mali appeared on first European map. On Mansa Musa’s visit to Mecca he managed to persuade some architects, scholars, and other professionals to come back to Mali with him. “They helped to enlarge and enrich the city of Timbuktu.” The greatness only lasted till 1500’s “after Mansa Musa’s death the empire began falling apart.” “Sons of kings in the of city Gao led a revolt then set about to build the empire of Songhai.”
Songhai is the last of the 3 Great West African Empires.
Trading goods for Songhai were gold and ivory. The emperor was Sunni Ali. Sunni was one of the fiercest warriors West Africa has ever seen, he ruled from 1464-1492. “Unlike Mali and Ghana- Songhai expanded it’s trading network to Europe and Southwest Asia.” Emperor Sunni Ali came into conflict with some Muslim leaders they did not like his idea of letting people to practice their old religions instead of becoming a Muslim.
When Sunni Ali died who was next for the throne was being fought over eventually a guy named Asika Muhammad came to the throne. When he died of blindness his sons fought over the throne.
“Songhai’s final challenge came from invaders”
In 1591 an army from Morocco came to West Africa in Search of gold the army possessed an early type of gun called the harquebus. Even if the army was out numbered with the gun they were undefeatable. “With the fall of Songhai in 1591 the thousand-year rule of the three great West African empires came to an end.” European Merchants built trading posts along the coast of West Africa they sold ivory, gold, and Africans to Americans.
Food depends on climate and are made with different ingredients.
“In rural areas most families grow their own food.” Food varies according to climate and soil, there’s a lot of rice, but it’s not cheap. Places with enough rain had food like cassava, yams, and vegetables of other kind are main cooking ingredients. In partly desert places couscous is main ingredient. Meat and fish are main parts of meals but most families eat it on special occasions because so expensive. “Mutton and goat are most commonly consumed meat.” Chicken and beef saved for special times because costly. Game used to be a main food source till the overhunting and habitat loss made it limited. They hunted: rodents, antelopes, monkeys, snails, cats, dogs etc.
Common vegetables are cassavas, yams, cocoyams, millet, sorghum, corn, okra, plantains. “Cassavas can be pounded, then mixed into a paste and made into balls. The balls are fried and eaten with stew.” Sauces are usually made from groundnut (peanuts) or palm oil. Food is often eaten with your hands. “In strict Muslim house holds men and woman eat from separate dishes.”
A lot of alcoholic drinks are made in West Africa but mostly not consumed. “Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink.” A traditional drink is palm wine made of alcoholic sap from palm trees. Baskets are usually used to hold food but if tightly woven can hold drinks as well.
Fon, Fulani, Dogon, Bobo, Bambara, Ashanti, and the Anlo-Ewe are a couple of the many tribes in West Africa.
The Bobo tribe is known for their masks which have elaborate outfits to go with. The Bobo are mainly agricultural people, and grow cotton which they use to trade. The main goal of the bobo culture to restore one with nature that man had wrecked.
Their main god is Wuro/creator who must always keep things balanced, and their 2nd god is Dwo.
The Bobo have lived in the western region for long time. Their language is known as the “Bobo” or “Mande” language. “The idea of political power in the hands of an individual is foreign to them.”
The Ashanti live in central Ghana for hardly more than 50 years. They do woodcarving and metal casting. The head of the home is chosen by the elders and often is the eldest son, “he is called either Father or Housefather and is obeyed by everyone.” “A child is said to inherit the fathers soul or spirit” and inherit the mothers flesh and blood. Boys at ages 8 or 9 are taught a skill of their father’s choice by their father, and taught how to use the talking drum by their mother’s brother. “Girls are taught cooking, housekeeping skills and pottery by their mother.” “Bark cloth was used for clothing before weaving was introduced.” Men were the only ones allowed to weave, each different pattern had it’s own significance. “Patterns were not always woven in cloth, they could also be stamped on.”
Marriage is very important, men are allowed to have more than 1 wife. Lots of women don’t meet their groom until the wedding and divorces are really rare.
The Ashanti have a variety of beliefs including, plants animals and trees have souls, there are fairies, witches and monsters, ancestors, and gods in this world. The golden stool is the Ashanti’s symbol since arrived never touched ground or anybody. It “represents the worship of ancestors, well-being, and the nation of Ashanti.”
The government of the empire of Ghana was simple, the kingdoms were divided into districts, and there was a district leader for every district. The king of that time was head of government and most people obeyed the laws. The army had great military power. “Legend has it the king could order 200,000 warriors and 40,000 more with bows and arrows.” Daily life was basic people were farmers, miners, artists etc, hard workers sang, and laughed. “Had fresh fruit and sweet potatoes,” and the Niger River provided water for farming, bathing, washing, and fish. There were griots who were storytellers; the responsibility of a griot is to pass on stories from tradition to tradition and generation to generation. Kids instead of going to school stayed home and listened to griots.
Ancient Ghana is north and west of present day Ghana. The Soninke between 300 and 500, using their iron weapons, conquered Ghana, Ghana using only their wooden weapons were defeated.
Gold was a meaningful word in Ghana; in mid 1000’s the ruler was called King of Gold. Ghana used to mean “warrior king” now it means “gold.”
Salt was a need to have “They traded the gold from the south for the salt from North Africa.” It was a silent trade because of the lack of language. They would leave their trade then examine what they got “if they believed that it was an even trade the transition was complete if not process was repeated until agreement was reached.” Slaves were also on the market. In the capitol city, Kumbi, and by Ghanaians, slaves were sold and bought by eager North African merchants. Slaves had existed for hundreds of years, they were enslaved when captured during wars. Africans enslaved other Africans but “most were able to earn or buy their freedom at some point.”
North Africans were followers of Muhammad; Islam. “They believed they had a duty to spread Islam; peacefully if possible or by a holy war, called a jihad, if necessary.” In the 1000’s Almoravid’s (The North African Muslims) did a jihad against Ghana. In the year 1062 the leader Abu Bakr led the invasion to Kumbi in the end the Almoravids destroyed the capitol and killed anyone who refused to accept Islam. Abu died and ended the Almoravids control over Ghana. But then in 1235 invaders from Mali came to Ghana.
Mali was the second of the 3 Great West African Empires.
By oral tradition is a how we got our knowledge of Mali; from griots. “Sundiata- a prince- was spared by a cruel conqueror- Sumanguru- when he enslaved Sundiata’s people.” In 1235 he lead a revolt against the cruel conqueror during the final battle between Sundiata and Sumanguru, Sundiata won and was crowned the new ruler. “As the new ruler he included Ghana into his kingdom which he named Mali.” Unlike Ghanaians the people of Mali chose to switch to Islam, but inherited the trading system from Ghana.
The Ruler of West African Empire of Mali, Mansa Musa went on a hajj (journey) to Mecca. Legend has it that he rode a on a caravan consisted of 60,000 people. He took along slaves and his rivals so they couldn’t harm his power at home. They arrived in Egypt and gave the people there gold, in result of the journey Mali appeared on first European map. On Mansa Musa’s visit to Mecca he managed to persuade some architects, scholars, and other professionals to come back to Mali with him. “They helped to enlarge and enrich the city of Timbuktu.” The greatness only lasted till 1500’s “after Mansa Musa’s death the empire began falling apart.” “Sons of kings in the of city Gao led a revolt then set about to build the empire of Songhai.”
Songhai is the last of the 3 Great West African Empires.
Trading goods for Songhai were gold and ivory. The emperor was Sunni Ali. Sunni was one of the fiercest warriors West Africa has ever seen, he ruled from 1464-1492. “Unlike Mali and Ghana- Songhai expanded it’s trading network to Europe and Southwest Asia.” Emperor Sunni Ali came into conflict with some Muslim leaders they did not like his idea of letting people to practice their old religions instead of becoming a Muslim.
When Sunni Ali died who was next for the throne was being fought over eventually a guy named Asika Muhammad came to the throne. When he died of blindness his sons fought over the throne.
“Songhai’s final challenge came from invaders”
In 1591 an army from Morocco came to West Africa in Search of gold the army possessed an early type of gun called the harquebus. Even if the army was out numbered with the gun they were undefeatable. “With the fall of Songhai in 1591 the thousand-year rule of the three great West African empires came to an end.” European Merchants built trading posts along the coast of West Africa they sold ivory, gold, and Africans to Americans.
Food depends on climate and are made with different ingredients.
“In rural areas most families grow their own food.” Food varies according to climate and soil, there’s a lot of rice, but it’s not cheap. Places with enough rain had food like cassava, yams, and vegetables of other kind are main cooking ingredients. In partly desert places couscous is main ingredient. Meat and fish are main parts of meals but most families eat it on special occasions because so expensive. “Mutton and goat are most commonly consumed meat.” Chicken and beef saved for special times because costly. Game used to be a main food source till the overhunting and habitat loss made it limited. They hunted: rodents, antelopes, monkeys, snails, cats, dogs etc.
Common vegetables are cassavas, yams, cocoyams, millet, sorghum, corn, okra, plantains. “Cassavas can be pounded, then mixed into a paste and made into balls. The balls are fried and eaten with stew.” Sauces are usually made from groundnut (peanuts) or palm oil. Food is often eaten with your hands. “In strict Muslim house holds men and woman eat from separate dishes.”
A lot of alcoholic drinks are made in West Africa but mostly not consumed. “Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink.” A traditional drink is palm wine made of alcoholic sap from palm trees. Baskets are usually used to hold food but if tightly woven can hold drinks as well.
Fon, Fulani, Dogon, Bobo, Bambara, Ashanti, and the Anlo-Ewe are a couple of the many tribes in West Africa.
The Bobo tribe is known for their masks which have elaborate outfits to go with. The Bobo are mainly agricultural people, and grow cotton which they use to trade. The main goal of the bobo culture to restore one with nature that man had wrecked.
Their main god is Wuro/creator who must always keep things balanced, and their 2nd god is Dwo.
The Bobo have lived in the western region for long time. Their language is known as the “Bobo” or “Mande” language. “The idea of political power in the hands of an individual is foreign to them.”
The Ashanti live in central Ghana for hardly more than 50 years. They do woodcarving and metal casting. The head of the home is chosen by the elders and often is the eldest son, “he is called either Father or Housefather and is obeyed by everyone.” “A child is said to inherit the fathers soul or spirit” and inherit the mothers flesh and blood. Boys at ages 8 or 9 are taught a skill of their father’s choice by their father, and taught how to use the talking drum by their mother’s brother. “Girls are taught cooking, housekeeping skills and pottery by their mother.” “Bark cloth was used for clothing before weaving was introduced.” Men were the only ones allowed to weave, each different pattern had it’s own significance. “Patterns were not always woven in cloth, they could also be stamped on.”
Marriage is very important, men are allowed to have more than 1 wife. Lots of women don’t meet their groom until the wedding and divorces are really rare.
The Ashanti have a variety of beliefs including, plants animals and trees have souls, there are fairies, witches and monsters, ancestors, and gods in this world. The golden stool is the Ashanti’s symbol since arrived never touched ground or anybody. It “represents the worship of ancestors, well-being, and the nation of Ashanti.”
England in the 1600 By: Helene
Life in England; Year 1600
By: Helene
England was a time for kings and queens, but not everybody was living the high life. England was an agriculture society where most people lived in villages. The bigger the villages where the more important they get. Villages would mine coal, tin, and lead, which made the country really rich and flourish. Pretty quickly the population of England grew to about 4 million people. Even though England was rich, it soon became a place where there was beggars; jobs where not easy to get.
Barley anyone lived in towns; mostly villages. The largest town in England was London with the population of 250,000. Now a day London may sound really nice, but back then rats where really common, so having the plague was very common. Towns where also very dangerous when it was dark, or night. If you ever went out at night you would go with someone or hire someone to come with you. If you where to travel by night you would travel by horse or carriage. To yours or someone else’s home.
In England, the average person’s house was made from a wooden frame and plaster. Glass windows where very expensive, so most windows where made from little pieces of glass put together. If you did have a glass window it would come with you to whatever house that you lived in. Along with windows, chimneys where also considered a luxurious item. Since furniture was not a completely available item, it was expected to passed through generations of the family. Most people sat on stools, but if a family had chairs, the adults would sit on them. Now a days we have rugs to cover our floors, but in the 1600’s rugs where so expensive and luxurious they where hung on the walls in the houses of the rich. So instead of rugs people covered their floors with mats of reeds and rushes. Electrical lights didn’t exist, so for light, the average person made candles out of an animal fat called tallow. Only the rich and the middle classes housing changed into the Tutor time period.
Housing wasn’t the only thing that changed. Games and hobbies changed a bit too. Most people in the 1600’s loved to watch and do wrestling. It was a main game that was done through all of the classes in the social hierarchy. Everybody also gambled. The rich and some of the middle class usually gambled with money, but the other people that couldn’t afford to lose money gambled with animals, clothes, sometimes even their own daughters. Only the rich thought of hunting as a sport. If the weapons where available, fresh caught meat would be a treat to the other classes.
Clothes where made from hunted animals as well and where a vary big part in daily life. People would wear cat, rabbit, beaver, bear, badger, and polecat, but never fox. Everybody wore hats. Hats where the main trend back then. They even had laws for hats, like only rich men could wear wool hats on Sunday. Wigs could also be considered hats, but not always. Few people wore wigs; mostly kings and queens did. The average man wore a loose tunic and the women wore a bodice and then a skirt, and then a linen apron, and then finally a type of petticoat called a smock shift or chemise. People had their clothes dyed, mostly from vegetables, and usually had buttons for decoration. These fashion styles where very popular.
In that time arranged marriages where also a very big part in daily life. Girls would usually get married at the age of 15 or 16 and boys would usually get married at the age of 18-21. In some places people where very about arranged marriages. If a girl would refuse to get married she would be beaten until she changed her mind about the marriage.
Before a man in a rich family would get married, he would probably go to school. Boys would go to petty school until the age of 7 and then went to grammar school. School is much different from today; it was very diciplened. If you did something wrong, you would get a spanking on your bare bottom. When you would turn 15 or 16 you could be chosen to go to Oxford or Cambridge. A lot of boys still didn’t go to school, but still knew how to read. Middle class girls where taught how to read, write, do math ect. at home by their mothers. Kids that didn’t go to school where expected to work at home for their parents.
By: Helene
England was a time for kings and queens, but not everybody was living the high life. England was an agriculture society where most people lived in villages. The bigger the villages where the more important they get. Villages would mine coal, tin, and lead, which made the country really rich and flourish. Pretty quickly the population of England grew to about 4 million people. Even though England was rich, it soon became a place where there was beggars; jobs where not easy to get.
Barley anyone lived in towns; mostly villages. The largest town in England was London with the population of 250,000. Now a day London may sound really nice, but back then rats where really common, so having the plague was very common. Towns where also very dangerous when it was dark, or night. If you ever went out at night you would go with someone or hire someone to come with you. If you where to travel by night you would travel by horse or carriage. To yours or someone else’s home.
In England, the average person’s house was made from a wooden frame and plaster. Glass windows where very expensive, so most windows where made from little pieces of glass put together. If you did have a glass window it would come with you to whatever house that you lived in. Along with windows, chimneys where also considered a luxurious item. Since furniture was not a completely available item, it was expected to passed through generations of the family. Most people sat on stools, but if a family had chairs, the adults would sit on them. Now a days we have rugs to cover our floors, but in the 1600’s rugs where so expensive and luxurious they where hung on the walls in the houses of the rich. So instead of rugs people covered their floors with mats of reeds and rushes. Electrical lights didn’t exist, so for light, the average person made candles out of an animal fat called tallow. Only the rich and the middle classes housing changed into the Tutor time period.
Housing wasn’t the only thing that changed. Games and hobbies changed a bit too. Most people in the 1600’s loved to watch and do wrestling. It was a main game that was done through all of the classes in the social hierarchy. Everybody also gambled. The rich and some of the middle class usually gambled with money, but the other people that couldn’t afford to lose money gambled with animals, clothes, sometimes even their own daughters. Only the rich thought of hunting as a sport. If the weapons where available, fresh caught meat would be a treat to the other classes.
Clothes where made from hunted animals as well and where a vary big part in daily life. People would wear cat, rabbit, beaver, bear, badger, and polecat, but never fox. Everybody wore hats. Hats where the main trend back then. They even had laws for hats, like only rich men could wear wool hats on Sunday. Wigs could also be considered hats, but not always. Few people wore wigs; mostly kings and queens did. The average man wore a loose tunic and the women wore a bodice and then a skirt, and then a linen apron, and then finally a type of petticoat called a smock shift or chemise. People had their clothes dyed, mostly from vegetables, and usually had buttons for decoration. These fashion styles where very popular.
In that time arranged marriages where also a very big part in daily life. Girls would usually get married at the age of 15 or 16 and boys would usually get married at the age of 18-21. In some places people where very about arranged marriages. If a girl would refuse to get married she would be beaten until she changed her mind about the marriage.
Before a man in a rich family would get married, he would probably go to school. Boys would go to petty school until the age of 7 and then went to grammar school. School is much different from today; it was very diciplened. If you did something wrong, you would get a spanking on your bare bottom. When you would turn 15 or 16 you could be chosen to go to Oxford or Cambridge. A lot of boys still didn’t go to school, but still knew how to read. Middle class girls where taught how to read, write, do math ect. at home by their mothers. Kids that didn’t go to school where expected to work at home for their parents.
England Housing 1600s by Seyade
In the sixteenth century rich peoples houses were changed. In the early 1600s plain, heavy furniture was common. Later the furniture was made from veneered walnut of mahogany. The wood was hollowed, and then filled with mother of pearl. Some parts of furniture were coated with lacquer. In the mid 1600s chests and drawers became common; grandfather clocks also became popular. Near the end of the century bookshelves were introduced. Padding for chairs became prevalent, and in the 1680s the first real armchairs appeared. They had casement glass windows that opened of hinges at the beginning of the century, but later they came up with sash windows that slid up and down. The rich English house certainly has changed.
Poor peoples houses were plain in the sixteenth century. Their houses were made out of bricks and stone. Instead of glass windows poor people had linen soaked in linseed oil. By the late 1600s glass became cheap enough that even the poor could afford it. The houses were small and cramped. Most poor people lived 1-3 room houses. Imagine living like that, it’s to plain for me.
Poor peoples houses were plain in the sixteenth century. Their houses were made out of bricks and stone. Instead of glass windows poor people had linen soaked in linseed oil. By the late 1600s glass became cheap enough that even the poor could afford it. The houses were small and cramped. Most poor people lived 1-3 room houses. Imagine living like that, it’s to plain for me.
France By Amira
France in the 1600’s
Amira Kazeminy
Agreeing on a Religion
During the mid 16th century the French people fought eight civil wars, all because of Religion. Some French people wanted to be Protestant, and some Catholic, but they couldn’t live in peace together
Sending a Sailor…
The Italians were such good sailors that other nations started hiring them to sail and explore for them. The French started to dream of territory and riches, so they found an Italian to sail for them. His name was Giovanni da Verrazano. The king of France sent him off to find a river passage through the American continent to Asia. The people were sure that one existed; they called it the “northwest passage” Giovanni da Verrazano sailed up the North American Coast and into what would years later become New York City’s Harbor. There was no passage way there so he kept sailing farther north to Newfoundland in Canada
Not Ready to Give Up.
He never found a passage because there wasn’t one. When he told the king, the king wouldn’t listen and wasn’t ready to give up.
French Men Sailing and Fool’s Gold
The king sent another man. A French man this time, named Jacques Cartier to the New World. Jacques Cartier made it through three voyages, explored the North Country, New Brunswick, and the Newfoundland. He brought back a few samples of stone that he thought was gold. It was really fool’s gold or iron pyrites. The French weren’t any good at finding real gold.
Life as a Part of a Peasant Family
Being a peasant family in France was a hard life. A man or father’s job was to run a shop or do plowing. After seven years of age, children would become laborers. 25% of the babies die before the age of one. 55% died before the age of ten. A mother had to give her dowry. Dowry means money given by a bride to her husband upon marriage. Most women worked ten years to build their dowry. A lot of women worked as prostitutes or “wet nurses”.
“Rule of Thumb”
Have you ever heard the term “rule of thumb”? That term comes from early France. The rule was that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick if the stick was no thicker than the width of his thumb.
A Little More About Peasents
About 75% of Europe’s population was peasants. Peasants borrowed or rented land from nobles. Peasants could be bought, sold and traded.
Taxes
Nobles and Clergy did not have to pay taxes. Those who had the least money paid the most taxes. Peasants worked for 12-15 days on unpaid labor per year for the state.
Amira Kazeminy
Agreeing on a Religion
During the mid 16th century the French people fought eight civil wars, all because of Religion. Some French people wanted to be Protestant, and some Catholic, but they couldn’t live in peace together
Sending a Sailor…
The Italians were such good sailors that other nations started hiring them to sail and explore for them. The French started to dream of territory and riches, so they found an Italian to sail for them. His name was Giovanni da Verrazano. The king of France sent him off to find a river passage through the American continent to Asia. The people were sure that one existed; they called it the “northwest passage” Giovanni da Verrazano sailed up the North American Coast and into what would years later become New York City’s Harbor. There was no passage way there so he kept sailing farther north to Newfoundland in Canada
Not Ready to Give Up.
He never found a passage because there wasn’t one. When he told the king, the king wouldn’t listen and wasn’t ready to give up.
French Men Sailing and Fool’s Gold
The king sent another man. A French man this time, named Jacques Cartier to the New World. Jacques Cartier made it through three voyages, explored the North Country, New Brunswick, and the Newfoundland. He brought back a few samples of stone that he thought was gold. It was really fool’s gold or iron pyrites. The French weren’t any good at finding real gold.
Life as a Part of a Peasant Family
Being a peasant family in France was a hard life. A man or father’s job was to run a shop or do plowing. After seven years of age, children would become laborers. 25% of the babies die before the age of one. 55% died before the age of ten. A mother had to give her dowry. Dowry means money given by a bride to her husband upon marriage. Most women worked ten years to build their dowry. A lot of women worked as prostitutes or “wet nurses”.
“Rule of Thumb”
Have you ever heard the term “rule of thumb”? That term comes from early France. The rule was that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick if the stick was no thicker than the width of his thumb.
A Little More About Peasents
About 75% of Europe’s population was peasants. Peasants borrowed or rented land from nobles. Peasants could be bought, sold and traded.
Taxes
Nobles and Clergy did not have to pay taxes. Those who had the least money paid the most taxes. Peasants worked for 12-15 days on unpaid labor per year for the state.
Ancient West African Transportation and Clothing By Jon
I am studying ancient West African transportation and clothing. There are both differences and similarities in West African transportation and clothing when you compare ancient to modern times.
I learned that ancient West Africans used pack animals, like camels, for getting around. The reason they used pack animals is (a) they did not have gas or electric powered vehicles, (b) camels can go without water for many hours, and (c) camels are good around the heat and desert. Even today, many people are still using pack animals as an important mode of transportation.
In ancient West Africa clothes were also very important. Just like today, in ancient times people wore clothes for many reasons. They wore clothes for warmth, wealth, getting protected by the sun, modesty, and many other reasons. Today, anybody can wear what they want to wear, but back then the traditions and rules they lived by placed many restrictions on what they could wear (and when they could wear it). For example, only married women could wear brass earrings, which indicates their status in society. Also, women wore head ties around their hair, with the greater the size of the head tie indicating a more important social status. Like in modern times, different clothes could indicate where you are from, what position you are in, and what kind of a person you are.
As you can see, there are some differences, and some similarities, in ancient West African transportation and clothing from what we see today in the 21st century.
I learned that ancient West Africans used pack animals, like camels, for getting around. The reason they used pack animals is (a) they did not have gas or electric powered vehicles, (b) camels can go without water for many hours, and (c) camels are good around the heat and desert. Even today, many people are still using pack animals as an important mode of transportation.
In ancient West Africa clothes were also very important. Just like today, in ancient times people wore clothes for many reasons. They wore clothes for warmth, wealth, getting protected by the sun, modesty, and many other reasons. Today, anybody can wear what they want to wear, but back then the traditions and rules they lived by placed many restrictions on what they could wear (and when they could wear it). For example, only married women could wear brass earrings, which indicates their status in society. Also, women wore head ties around their hair, with the greater the size of the head tie indicating a more important social status. Like in modern times, different clothes could indicate where you are from, what position you are in, and what kind of a person you are.
As you can see, there are some differences, and some similarities, in ancient West African transportation and clothing from what we see today in the 21st century.
Wampanoag Homes--Cassidy
Wampanoag Homes
The Wampanoag people lived in varied places along Rhode Island
and southeast Massachusetts, usually near forests and rivers. The
houses were always built in a village-type format, always in the
spring, and by both men and women.
There were two types of homes—one was called “Wetu”, which
was the smaller kind of house that had a capacity of one family
and it had a cattail covering (cattails are a plentiful plant that
grows by marshes) on the outside. The second one was
called “Nushweety”, and it was bigger, could house more people
and it had a big sheet of bark on the outside. Both houses still had
the same qualities.
The houses were always a round shape, had a chimney (they
carved a hole in the roof). The frame of the house was built with
saplings, 40 to 200 depending how big or small the house was, and
the sap always helped men bend the saplings.
Cattails were a key part in Wampanoag homes. The women
would took care of the cattails, sun-drying them and then boiling
them to drain all the sap out. Then they would weave/sew them
double-sided to insulate and weatherproof the houses.
Wampanoag Indians slept on mats, and used clay pots and
wooden bowls. Every time a house became useless, they took it
down and built another one.
The Wampanoag people lived in varied places along Rhode Island
and southeast Massachusetts, usually near forests and rivers. The
houses were always built in a village-type format, always in the
spring, and by both men and women.
There were two types of homes—one was called “Wetu”, which
was the smaller kind of house that had a capacity of one family
and it had a cattail covering (cattails are a plentiful plant that
grows by marshes) on the outside. The second one was
called “Nushweety”, and it was bigger, could house more people
and it had a big sheet of bark on the outside. Both houses still had
the same qualities.
The houses were always a round shape, had a chimney (they
carved a hole in the roof). The frame of the house was built with
saplings, 40 to 200 depending how big or small the house was, and
the sap always helped men bend the saplings.
Cattails were a key part in Wampanoag homes. The women
would took care of the cattails, sun-drying them and then boiling
them to drain all the sap out. Then they would weave/sew them
double-sided to insulate and weatherproof the houses.
Wampanoag Indians slept on mats, and used clay pots and
wooden bowls. Every time a house became useless, they took it
down and built another one.
English Social Structure in 1600s-Seyade
The social structure of England has many levels. At the top are the king and queen. Next in line were the hereditary. Hereditary occupied honorific positions in local government, and were also local magnates. They inherited huge county estates even for today’s standard, and the power was passed from father to oldest son. Peers were right under them. Peers were the military class of the nation. In the counties peers held the office of lord lieutenant, and they also served at court. At the beginning of the century their power was local, but later the power was more central. Gentry were next in line. Gentry weren’t rich, but pretty well off. Sir Thomas Smith defined gentry as “He that can bear the port and charge of a gentleman.” They didn’t do manual work, but served as deputy lieutenants, militia captains, and justices of peace. Gentry made up five percent of the rural population. They were expected to provide hospitality for their neighbors, and treat their occupants paternally. Yeomen were after gentry. Yeomen were farmers who owned their land. They lived okay lives, but had to work with their men. Craftsmen, tenant farmers, tradesmen, and shopkeepers were at the bottom. They were called the middling sort. The middling sort had a hard time putting food on their plate and lived crowded lives. Their children were sent to local employers to become apprentices. Merchants were respected, but weren’t really part of the social structure. In 1601 overseers of the poor were appointed districts. They made people pay taxes to help the poor. Anyone who refused was whipped or sent to a house of correction. People who were disabled or old and couldn’t work didn’t have to pay. Anyone could rise or fall in the social structure, only a few things were passed from father to son. And that is the social structure of England.
Housing & Fine Arts in France in the 1600's By: Ivy Garvis
I studied Housing and Fine arts in France. The houses in France were tall and skinny. A lot of them had points on the tops if they were fancy expensive homes. The people who couldn’t afford a home lived in smaller shack like things kind of like a garden shed that one of the rich would have. The fine arts were really important to France. Art was one of them. When people were sad they would paint sad paintings that later turned into some of the most famous paintings. Some of the best art has come from people who were sad when they were panting, or sculpting. A lot of the fine art has people who aren’t wearing any clothes. That’s just the way they learned to paint and sculp. Simon Vouet was a very famous painter in the 1500-1600’s. Some of his paintings were called Minerva, Hercules among the Olympians, Virgin and Child, and Allegorie des Reichtums. He changed French art in that period of time.
Another Fine Art in France was Cooking
Professional Chefs/Cooks made a very high salary in those days. Cooking took a turn in the 1600’s because people were finding out and discovering new tastes and spices. They used a lot of Mint and Vanilla in their sauces and cooking. They used vanilla and mint in a lot of their special treats. They used vanilla in their special chocolate hazelnut brownies. The food was becoming more tasteful and rich. Everybody in France was finding dishes from other countries and making them in their own way. There was a bunch of cool recipes that the French made in the 1600’s. There was things like French Beans, French Bean Salad, Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies, Artichoke sauces and salads with artichoke in it, leek and potato soup, cat’s mousse, smoked herring, chocolate fudge, flan, French cut rib or beef, stuffed purple artichokes, they also made Greek style mushrooms, and they also made veal.
France by Jordyn
France In the 1600’s
In the 1600‘s the French Cuisine was very simple. Food in France was always made from scratch. For example, you would have to grow your wheat and grind it into flour. Their food was never frozen only fresh. The Aztecs were the first to discover the cocoa bean when they recognized the cocoa tree. Christopher Columbus was the first to bring the cocoa bean back to Europe in 1502 - 1504. Only the rich could afford to buy meat and vegetables. Berries were also a part of their diet as well as anchovies, capers, and wine.
The French people participated in many of the same activities as we do. They played many different kinds of sports like soccer, tennis, and ballet dancing. They also hunted. The French people gambled on cock fights. The French enjoyed having elaborate dinner parties.
In the 1520’s, King Francis came up with grammar schools they were called colleges. In the 1600’s, Catholic Priests started combining religious beliefs with the colleges. The religion they studied and believed in was Roman Catholic.
The social pyramid in France started with the Nobles and Lords as the highest class. Next came the Clergy. The Bourgeoisie which is the middle class was the third level. These people included shopkeepers, skilled workers, business workers, and bankers. The lowest class was the Masses.
In the 1600‘s the French Cuisine was very simple. Food in France was always made from scratch. For example, you would have to grow your wheat and grind it into flour. Their food was never frozen only fresh. The Aztecs were the first to discover the cocoa bean when they recognized the cocoa tree. Christopher Columbus was the first to bring the cocoa bean back to Europe in 1502 - 1504. Only the rich could afford to buy meat and vegetables. Berries were also a part of their diet as well as anchovies, capers, and wine.
The French people participated in many of the same activities as we do. They played many different kinds of sports like soccer, tennis, and ballet dancing. They also hunted. The French people gambled on cock fights. The French enjoyed having elaborate dinner parties.
In the 1520’s, King Francis came up with grammar schools they were called colleges. In the 1600’s, Catholic Priests started combining religious beliefs with the colleges. The religion they studied and believed in was Roman Catholic.
The social pyramid in France started with the Nobles and Lords as the highest class. Next came the Clergy. The Bourgeoisie which is the middle class was the third level. These people included shopkeepers, skilled workers, business workers, and bankers. The lowest class was the Masses.
Central Africa by Daniel
When I studied Central Africa, I studied what happens to someone’s items when they die in the Ashanti tribe. If someone died in the Ashanti tribe, a man would come before women in getting their stuff. Also oldest comes before youngest.
The dead person would give all their stuff to their brother, then their brother’s oldest son, then their brother’s oldest son’s oldest son. It goes on like that until passed on to women. In women, the order is sister, then sister’s oldest daughter, then sister’s oldest daughter’s oldest daughter. It passes on just like the men.
The person receiving these gifts has to be someone who can be trusted with it, not to break the item. The person can not be a drunk or any other person who could break it.
Government in West Africa
West Africa
By: Emily
I learned about government. Mansa Musa was the king of Mali. During the 1100’s Mali started to switch to islam. Ghana was another place I learned about. The government decided how much gold people could trade and decided how much tax should they put on gold and salt the people traded. The government made money off the trade. Some of the money that the government made was given to the military. The government had a lot of power. They had “complete judicial power.” One other place was Songhai the king of Songhai was Sunny Ali and Songhai’s economy was based on trade. Each village had there own government. Each village choose who they wanted to run there village, it could have been a king, or a group of elders, it was based on the village. The government in West Africa is sort of like it is today.
west african housing Ancient times Nate
West Africa
What I am studying is west africa and there housing in ancient times.
I studied what they were made out of and who made them. Where they got there materials and ect
was They would get mud and brick and just stack the bricks and make a house. Or they would have a thick mud for there house. And the roofs were made out of twigs branches sticks or Hatch
They got there Materials from the nature mostly like the roofs of the houses usually came from trees or grass. The mud could come from the ground, or just basically any thing they could find in the land.
it is the opposite of what you would think when the men where out working the wife’s would stay back and work on the houses. I think that is a little weird But that is just me.
What I am studying is west africa and there housing in ancient times.
I studied what they were made out of and who made them. Where they got there materials and ect
was They would get mud and brick and just stack the bricks and make a house. Or they would have a thick mud for there house. And the roofs were made out of twigs branches sticks or Hatch
They got there Materials from the nature mostly like the roofs of the houses usually came from trees or grass. The mud could come from the ground, or just basically any thing they could find in the land.
it is the opposite of what you would think when the men where out working the wife’s would stay back and work on the houses. I think that is a little weird But that is just me.
Wampanoag 1600-1700 Maushop Brings His People Home Dugout Canoe trip to Martha's Vineyard
Wampanoag
“Maushop Brings His People Home
Dugout Canoe trip to Martha's Vineyard”. Maushop was a Wampanoag man of the earliest ancient times. Some people in Wampanoag believed that he was a giant who created the Elizabeth Islands. He brought his people to Aquinnah on the island of Noepe to live. It was a very peaceful place. To feed his family he caught whales with his bare hands and dashed them against the clay cliffs of Aquinnah. Some of the stains still remain on the clay today. It was easy for Maushop to travel from island to island because of his size. The rest of the people were excellent navigators and used dugout canoes. Canoeing and travel by foot were the main forms of transportation. Wampanoag territory includes Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands.”) To prepare for the big trip, practices were held, rain or shine. Practicing in different conditions helped to prepare the people for a lot of different kinds of weather like wind, rain, waves or currents.
England's Food and Drink in the 1600's and 1700's
In 1600’s and the 1700’s England people ate some similar stuff, but it wasn’t a big variety like we have today. They ate wheat and meat. They drank beer, wine, tea, and coffee. For fruits they ate pineapples and bananas. Those are just some of the thing Those England people ate.
The poor people ate cheese, bread, and onions. Ordinary people ate porridge. That is a kind of stew. They put meat and fish in the stew. They ate lots of fish and meat. The rich would get ice cream, cheese, bread, onions, porridge, meat, and fish.
For breakfast people ate sausage, eggs, and bread. They drank tea and coffee for breakfast. For lunch they would eat sandwiches like roast beef and they would eat cakes like fruitcakes, muffins, and pies. They drank ginger beer for lunch. Then for dinner they ate stew, sandwiches, hamburger, cheese, fish, and bread. The rich would drink wine and the ordinary people and the poor drank beer.
Now we have more crops to eat more veggies and fruits. For breakfast we have cereal, pancakes and waffles a lot of other things too. For lunch we have lettuces, tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard and a lot of other things. For dinner we have pizza, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, noodles and a lot of other things.
So now you see how England and the rest of the world has change on how we eat today. All the stuff they ate back we still eat today, but now we have more verities of food.
Brandon
England's Food and Drink in the 1600's and 1700's
In 1600’s and the 1700’s England people ate some similar stuff, but it wasn’t a big variety like we have today. They ate wheat and meat. They drank beer, wine, tea, and coffee. For fruits they ate pineapples and bananas. Those are just some of the thing Those England people ate.
The poor people ate cheese, bread, and onions. Ordinary people ate porridge. That is a kind of stew. They put meat and fish in the stew. They ate lots of fish and meat. The rich would get ice cream, cheese, bread, onions, porridge, meat, and fish.
For breakfast people ate sausage, eggs, and bread. They drank tea and coffee for breakfast. For lunch they would eat sandwiches like roast beef and they would eat cakes like fruitcakes, muffins, and pies. They drank ginger beer for lunch. Then for dinner they ate stew, sandwiches, hamburger, cheese, fish, and bread. The rich would drink wine and the ordinary people and the poor drank beer.
Now we have more crops to eat more veggies and fruits. For breakfast we have cereal, pancakes and waffles a lot of other things too. For lunch we have lettuces, tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard and a lot of other things. For dinner we have pizza, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, noodles and a lot of other things.
So now you see how England and the rest of the world has change on how we eat today. All the stuff they ate back we still eat today, but now we have more verities of food.
Brandon
The Wampanoag By VJ
The Wampanoag people had various foods they ate in a season. The foods they ate were kinda normal and kinda not, they ate berries, duck, octopus,and deer. In the spring they ate otter, beaver, and sometimes muskrat. In the summer they would collect seabird eggs. In the fowl they would harvest crops and hunt water fowl. In the winter they would hunt deer and mouse and they would trap beaver, rabbit, and muskrat.
Back a few hundred years ago the Wampanoag people spoke different languages than English which we speak today. They have not created a name for the language, but we do know one word Wuneekeesuk which is a friendly greeting that means “Good day!”
Today we have about four to five thousand Wampanoag in New England. There are three primary groups, Mashpee, Aqunnah, and Manomet , with several others getting together again as well. We aslo have recently found some of our relations in the Caribbean islands. These people that were sent into slavery after a war between the Wampanoag and English.
Central Africa: By Benjamin
There is a variety of different religions in Central Africa. Most of them are christian.
The Ashanti believe in many gods. Local animists long believed in one supreme god until the
Europeans came. The Europeans made them believe in many gods. The god they believed in before the Europeans came was Nzambi. Nzambi is the god of animal spirits.) The
Ashanti believe in the kingdom of death. They believed gods are always present.
The Ashanti think death is the one great
certainty like the Mexicans. ”Traditional religion does not require regular attendance
at particular buildings for the Ashanti.” They payed great attention to burials and
funerals because they thought it was important and they wanted say goodbye to their friends and family.
My second topic is the wars the Ashanti had. The biggest war they had was the Fante war. The Ashanti and the Fante were enemies the Fante had British allies and the Ashanti had Dutch allies. This war started when the Asantehene(the Ashanti’s king) charged some of the Fante people of robing a tomb. Which to the Ashanti meant a lot. The Ashanti won by having four groups and suround the Fante until they took the Fante’s king hostage.
The Ashanti believe in many gods. Local animists long believed in one supreme god until the
Europeans came. The Europeans made them believe in many gods. The god they believed in before the Europeans came was Nzambi. Nzambi is the god of animal spirits.) The
Ashanti believe in the kingdom of death. They believed gods are always present.
The Ashanti think death is the one great
certainty like the Mexicans. ”Traditional religion does not require regular attendance
at particular buildings for the Ashanti.” They payed great attention to burials and
funerals because they thought it was important and they wanted say goodbye to their friends and family.
My second topic is the wars the Ashanti had. The biggest war they had was the Fante war. The Ashanti and the Fante were enemies the Fante had British allies and the Ashanti had Dutch allies. This war started when the Asantehene(the Ashanti’s king) charged some of the Fante people of robing a tomb. Which to the Ashanti meant a lot. The Ashanti won by having four groups and suround the Fante until they took the Fante’s king hostage.
Powhatans Msquared 2
Powhatan Food
The Powhatan mostly ate what was around them. They would eat
fish, nuts, berries, grapes, corn, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, beans,
deer, bear, raccoon, rabbit, and squirrel. Sunflowers were grown in the
summer and the seeds were dried for the winter. Pumpkins were grown in
the fall. Beans was also grown.
Women were in charge of the farming. Their farms were planted a certain way. Outer row of crops is for wild animals. Next row was shared with people that don’t have enough food inner row to feed own family. Women and older children were also in charge of gathering edible plants and wild berries. The men were in charge of the hunting. The men would hunt deer, bear, raccoon, rabbit, and squirrel. When men went hunting they would put on special body paint and go into the woods for many days at a time. They would transport what they had gotten back in wooden dugout canoes.
Corn was a big deal every year in the fall there was a corn harvest festival. During the festival they would dance and forgive people they were
mad at. Corn was considered a sacred food. They would thank their gods
for giving it to them.
The Powhatan mostly ate what was around them. They would eat
fish, nuts, berries, grapes, corn, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, beans,
deer, bear, raccoon, rabbit, and squirrel. Sunflowers were grown in the
summer and the seeds were dried for the winter. Pumpkins were grown in
the fall. Beans was also grown.
Women were in charge of the farming. Their farms were planted a certain way. Outer row of crops is for wild animals. Next row was shared with people that don’t have enough food inner row to feed own family. Women and older children were also in charge of gathering edible plants and wild berries. The men were in charge of the hunting. The men would hunt deer, bear, raccoon, rabbit, and squirrel. When men went hunting they would put on special body paint and go into the woods for many days at a time. They would transport what they had gotten back in wooden dugout canoes.
Corn was a big deal every year in the fall there was a corn harvest festival. During the festival they would dance and forgive people they were
mad at. Corn was considered a sacred food. They would thank their gods
for giving it to them.
Food and transportation in England 1600s
In the 1600s there were many new foods that had just started to develop some of the foods we have now. The rich had just started to come up with ways to make their food better. In the late 1600s they started eating ice cream and figuring out how they cold keep it could. The rich also had a reputation for loving meat and not eating many veggies. In the morning and at dinner they like white bread and coffee or tea, which were both discovered in the mid 16th century. The rich had many of the food we have now.
The poor did not have as easy a time. The poor of England ate a lot of veggies and not much meat because it was so expensive and very hard to keep. They enjoyed bread, which was made form rye and it was not nearly has expensive. They ate cheese and onions as well. They almost never ate seafood because it was so hard to keep and to keep it you had to pay, which was hard for these people. They had hard time finding ways to keep things.
There are however things that the both have in common. Both the rich and the poor started eating with forks in the late 1600s. They both thought that fruit was bad for you and ate it only after it had been cooked. In the mid 1600sthey started eating turkey and potatoes. They also enjoyed bananas and pineapples with they argued were not fruit. There were not much more they had in common.
Transportation in the 1600s was not as easy or fast as it is now. Stagecoaches started running between big cities. They really were not comfortable. Turnpike roads had just started to open but they were very expensive. The men were supposed to help with the roads but that was very dangerous. The money that the people paid to use them went to keeping the roads in good shape but there were just not enough hands to keep tem in god shape and that made then dangerous. If you wanted to travel then you either had to go slowly or risk the danger or the roads.
The methods of travel were slower then they are now. If you traveled 50 to 60 kilometers in a day then you traveled very fast. The rich traveled slowly on purpose. It would take about a week from London to Plymouth. You could also ride a horse but by the 1600s horses were used manly for transporting goods. If you did not have a horse of your own then you could rent a horse. There were not many ways you could go very fast.
Before the 1600s you really could not send messages to others if you did not want to personally deliver it. The king sent his messengers to deliver letters to the recipient. If someone wanted to get a message to someone else they could pay the kings messengers to get the letter t someone else. That is how royal mail started. If you wanted to get a message to someone then you would have to pay a lot. Most poor people could not afford to send messages. The royal mail was really only taken advantage of by the rich.
There were many ports off of England so that there could be water travel as well as land travel. As well as getting goods form place to place by horses, it was also common to us boats. Water travel was much improved and the boats were probably much more comfortable then any means of land travel.
We have much more efficient means of travel now. Today if you want to go anywhere all you have to do is hop in a car where as back then you would have to plan in advance, saddle your horse, get a stagecoach ticket or find some way of getting hold of a boat. We also know what foods are good for you and how to make things taste good. Back in the 1600s they would not have even thought about candy or junk food.
Powhatans Msquared
Powhatan Clothing
The Powhatan had simple clothing but expressed most through body
paint and hair. Men would wear a breech-clout of skin worn between the
thighs. Higher class men would have shirts made out of deerskin and
turkey feathers. Chiefs (or werowances) would wear clothes decorated with
rare shell beads. Men would have half of their head shaved and the other
half growing long. Both women and men had their body’s painted with
special symbols. Both men and women also had tattoos and wore jewelry.
Shoes were only worn if you were going in the forest.
Women’s clothes were simple and not conservative. Women would
mostly wear an apron like skirt and higher class women’s skirts would be
made of deerskin. My sources disagree one says that women would not
wear shirts and only turkey feather coats and one says women would wear
woven or deerskin shirts. A young or un-married women would wear her
hair shaved on the sides and growing long in the back. A married women
wore their hair long and braided. Children wouldn’t wear clothes until about
seven or eight.
The Powhatan had simple clothing but expressed most through body
paint and hair. Men would wear a breech-clout of skin worn between the
thighs. Higher class men would have shirts made out of deerskin and
turkey feathers. Chiefs (or werowances) would wear clothes decorated with
rare shell beads. Men would have half of their head shaved and the other
half growing long. Both women and men had their body’s painted with
special symbols. Both men and women also had tattoos and wore jewelry.
Shoes were only worn if you were going in the forest.
Women’s clothes were simple and not conservative. Women would
mostly wear an apron like skirt and higher class women’s skirts would be
made of deerskin. My sources disagree one says that women would not
wear shirts and only turkey feather coats and one says women would wear
woven or deerskin shirts. A young or un-married women would wear her
hair shaved on the sides and growing long in the back. A married women
wore their hair long and braided. Children wouldn’t wear clothes until about
seven or eight.
powhatans LK
Powhatan Homes
Powhatan homes were way different then our homes right now. Powhatan people built their homes out of saplings. They would stick the saplings into the ground and then bend and tie them at the top. Strong roots and stringy muscles can be used to tie them together. After that was done they would cover it with tree bark or mats that were made by women weaving reeds together. Instead of doors they also used mats, but if they left to go hunting they might put a big log or something big in front of the door to keep out bears and other wild animals. If it was hot outside they would take off some of the walls and leave the door open to let some air in. That would have been like us opening a window today. When they were building their house they would always leave a hole at the top. They did this so when they had a fire the smoke can escape. Every house would always have a fire going at all times. That was because they were afraid that if the fire stopped burning an evil spirit would visit them.
Powhatan people usually would build a wall outside their village, but no one knows why, it could have been to keep out enemy tribes and warriors, or just wild animals. Their homes were circular and they were built around a central plaza. Powhatans called their houses “longhouses,” which were made and owned by the women. Usually a few families lived in one longhouse. They usually digs lots of storage or burial pits. Some little houses though, were called smoking houses because they were used for smoking and storing meat. Smoking the meat would make it last longer. As you can see the Powhatan homes were very unique.
Powhatan Family Life
Powhatan family life was way different then the way we live today. Powhatan men could have more than one wife, but their first marriage was expected to be for life. Girls could marry at age 13, or when they reached puberty and boys marry at age 15. Marriage is a sign of responsibility for men. Men could also not take part in city council meetings until they were married. When a man wanted to marry a girl they gave a gift to her parents and her to prove he could support his wife. The gifts could be meat, fish, or wild plant foods. He could not marry her until he could prove himself a good provider for food and protection. The man also had to pay her parents a “bride-wealth” which some people think was like you had to pay for your bride. If her parents agreed they would sprinkle shell beads over the happy couple. His wife left her home to join her husband’s home, their kids lived with them too. They lived with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the same house with the married couple and their children. Family was very important to them. They all took care of everyone and everything and they shared everything too. The birth of a baby was a very happy occasion.
Women have way more jobs then men. Women make mats, baskets platters, wooden spoons, pots, and way more. They also were barbers for men, they harvest corn and make it into bread, they carried all the stuff when their family was on the move that way men could shoot enemies or animals if they saw some. They made and owned the houses, they gathered firewood and kept the fire going at all times, they served and made the food. They helped visitors when they came, and they raised their children but for their reward, they got to keep all the money. Men only fish, hunt, and go to war. Men and women hardly ever did the same chores except they both cleared land for gardens and they both could also become chief of their tribe. Powhatans have community dances a lot, and no matter how hard the women worked, they usually always had some time and energy left for the dances.
Powhatans don’t live by clock time and the really don’t have high standards for how neat you are either. The Powhatans live a very similar but very different life from us.
Powhatan homes were way different then our homes right now. Powhatan people built their homes out of saplings. They would stick the saplings into the ground and then bend and tie them at the top. Strong roots and stringy muscles can be used to tie them together. After that was done they would cover it with tree bark or mats that were made by women weaving reeds together. Instead of doors they also used mats, but if they left to go hunting they might put a big log or something big in front of the door to keep out bears and other wild animals. If it was hot outside they would take off some of the walls and leave the door open to let some air in. That would have been like us opening a window today. When they were building their house they would always leave a hole at the top. They did this so when they had a fire the smoke can escape. Every house would always have a fire going at all times. That was because they were afraid that if the fire stopped burning an evil spirit would visit them.
Powhatan people usually would build a wall outside their village, but no one knows why, it could have been to keep out enemy tribes and warriors, or just wild animals. Their homes were circular and they were built around a central plaza. Powhatans called their houses “longhouses,” which were made and owned by the women. Usually a few families lived in one longhouse. They usually digs lots of storage or burial pits. Some little houses though, were called smoking houses because they were used for smoking and storing meat. Smoking the meat would make it last longer. As you can see the Powhatan homes were very unique.
Powhatan Family Life
Powhatan family life was way different then the way we live today. Powhatan men could have more than one wife, but their first marriage was expected to be for life. Girls could marry at age 13, or when they reached puberty and boys marry at age 15. Marriage is a sign of responsibility for men. Men could also not take part in city council meetings until they were married. When a man wanted to marry a girl they gave a gift to her parents and her to prove he could support his wife. The gifts could be meat, fish, or wild plant foods. He could not marry her until he could prove himself a good provider for food and protection. The man also had to pay her parents a “bride-wealth” which some people think was like you had to pay for your bride. If her parents agreed they would sprinkle shell beads over the happy couple. His wife left her home to join her husband’s home, their kids lived with them too. They lived with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the same house with the married couple and their children. Family was very important to them. They all took care of everyone and everything and they shared everything too. The birth of a baby was a very happy occasion.
Women have way more jobs then men. Women make mats, baskets platters, wooden spoons, pots, and way more. They also were barbers for men, they harvest corn and make it into bread, they carried all the stuff when their family was on the move that way men could shoot enemies or animals if they saw some. They made and owned the houses, they gathered firewood and kept the fire going at all times, they served and made the food. They helped visitors when they came, and they raised their children but for their reward, they got to keep all the money. Men only fish, hunt, and go to war. Men and women hardly ever did the same chores except they both cleared land for gardens and they both could also become chief of their tribe. Powhatans have community dances a lot, and no matter how hard the women worked, they usually always had some time and energy left for the dances.
Powhatans don’t live by clock time and the really don’t have high standards for how neat you are either. The Powhatans live a very similar but very different life from us.
West African Art in the 1500s
Art was a huge part of West African culture in the 1500s. It was one of the most important ways West Africans express themselves. Many West African art has a human figure in it, although like many other art, they were often abstract instead of realistic. In addition to being abstract, many of their artwork was three dimensional, such as sculptures. Even artworks like paintings in a house were meant to be seen three-dimensionally by walking around the house. You had to look at it from different angles to fully understand the art.
Even though a human figure was reoccurring in their work, they often showed strength and courage, and rarely showed any emotions such as love. Different pictures often represent different things, for example; when a mother and child are shown together it often symbolizes Mother Nature with people as her children, and a man with a weapon or animal usually represents wealth and honor. Art was a huge part of West African culture in the 1500s.
By Sarah
Even though a human figure was reoccurring in their work, they often showed strength and courage, and rarely showed any emotions such as love. Different pictures often represent different things, for example; when a mother and child are shown together it often symbolizes Mother Nature with people as her children, and a man with a weapon or animal usually represents wealth and honor. Art was a huge part of West African culture in the 1500s.
By Sarah
France Daily life
I studied life in France from the 1600’s and I am going to share with you what I learned. People in France 1600’s would hardly wash their bodies. Taking a bath was considered not healthy and bad for the body if you washed to much. This could also kill if you got a deisies. The average life expectancy was about 15-20 years old. It was a young age but back then they had many more sicknesses and not many cures for them. Some other things that could kill people were diseases and accidents. The accedents are more refuring to things like someone stimbled of of a cliff, or I triped out of the window. If you used a diet the wrong way you might die of starvation. If a person would go on a diet it would have to contain these items to stay healthy: black bread, beer, and sometimes little or no meat, fresh vegetables.
Richer people had servants to clean their house. Nobles of sword and Nobles of robe did not pay taxes, along with the richer people. Those with the least amount of money would pay more taxes. Those with with more money would not pay many taxes or would even pay none! If you were a rich person who had to pay little taxes (and you wanted to pay none) then you could buy a spot (for you and your family) as noble of robe. A noble of robe is a person who bought their tittle without being a soilder or a family member of the royals. Those with the least amount of money were middle class (and were not peasants) were known as primarily in France. These people were shopkeepers, skilled workers, small business owners, and bankers.
The women would raise the children they were called carriers. If a women raised a child they would get payed for doing so. The men and fathers would usually plow, plant, run a shop, and or become migrate workers. Some children of peasants would become labors. The sad fact of it is that 25% of the infants would die before age 1! 55% died before age 10. The labors weren’t slaves simply servants or workers.
Some women would work the spinning wheel for a cottage industry. They would make their own space to make extra money, the extra money was to pay off their dowry. Or some would work as wet nurses to pay it off. A dowry is when a husband and wife get married the wife must pay the husband alot of money sometimes it would even take up to 10 whole years just to pay off their dowry. Another sad fact is the thumb rule. The thumb rule is when another man can beat a husbands wife with a stick, the rule is that the stick can’t be bigger than the husbands thumb.
Fun was considerd gambling, hunting, elaborate dinner parties, tennis, opera, ballet, dances, salons, and more. The food at these fun things were breads, wine or hard liquor and coffe, exotic spices. The clothes were simply the men wore curly with or brown wigs, but the women wore dresses that were 9” wide pretty long to me!
By: Chameer
Richer people had servants to clean their house. Nobles of sword and Nobles of robe did not pay taxes, along with the richer people. Those with the least amount of money would pay more taxes. Those with with more money would not pay many taxes or would even pay none! If you were a rich person who had to pay little taxes (and you wanted to pay none) then you could buy a spot (for you and your family) as noble of robe. A noble of robe is a person who bought their tittle without being a soilder or a family member of the royals. Those with the least amount of money were middle class (and were not peasants) were known as primarily in France. These people were shopkeepers, skilled workers, small business owners, and bankers.
The women would raise the children they were called carriers. If a women raised a child they would get payed for doing so. The men and fathers would usually plow, plant, run a shop, and or become migrate workers. Some children of peasants would become labors. The sad fact of it is that 25% of the infants would die before age 1! 55% died before age 10. The labors weren’t slaves simply servants or workers.
Some women would work the spinning wheel for a cottage industry. They would make their own space to make extra money, the extra money was to pay off their dowry. Or some would work as wet nurses to pay it off. A dowry is when a husband and wife get married the wife must pay the husband alot of money sometimes it would even take up to 10 whole years just to pay off their dowry. Another sad fact is the thumb rule. The thumb rule is when another man can beat a husbands wife with a stick, the rule is that the stick can’t be bigger than the husbands thumb.
Fun was considerd gambling, hunting, elaborate dinner parties, tennis, opera, ballet, dances, salons, and more. The food at these fun things were breads, wine or hard liquor and coffe, exotic spices. The clothes were simply the men wore curly with or brown wigs, but the women wore dresses that were 9” wide pretty long to me!
By: Chameer
King James I
King James I Kirk
James the VI of scotland became James the I of England in 1603, and he started a new dynasty called the Stuarts. James the First never had the same popularity or charisma as queen Elizabeth I. He got a new translation of the Bible, which was called the King James version. It was published in 1611. It was hard to make money because of wars so there was a low income. They forced him to find other ways to make money. James believed that God had chosen him to rule. Therefore, he thought that the ultimate authority was his power, but he was willing to work with parliament. James the First died when he was 58 in 1625.
1600 France
1-5% of France's people were nobles which were people that were people that got their wealth through their family and the King. 5-10% of France’s People were Clergy priest’s and other religious leaders. Another 5-10% of people were called bourgeoisie which were the middle class. 75-85% were the masses which were basically the poor or peasants. Nobles and clergy didn’t have to pay taxes because of their rank.The life span of the nobles was 15-20 years longer than the masses. The masses or peasants rented their land from the nobles. For those who did pay taxes less money you have the more your taxes were, which is the opposite of what we are trying to do today. Every body didn’t take baths often. If you were the bourgeoisie or the masses you usually wouldn’t have a lot of money so for fun they would play soccer in the streets.
West Africa by: AVi
West African Pastimes
West Africans in 1500-1600’s had many different pastimes. Some of the many West African pastimes were writing and listening to poems, praise songs, dancing, playing soccer, telling stories, weaving, pottery, and art. Many of the West African pastimes from 1500-1600 are still carried on today. West Africans are very artistic and athletic at the same time and you can really tell through their pastimes. West Africans were very diverse people and as you can see that carried on through their pastimes.
Powhatan Religion, Pastimes and Fine Arts
There are two main theories of the creation story in Powhatan religion. The first is that the all-powerful god Okewas created everything. And because of this, the Powhatan’s believed he led them in to battle. It was believed that only priests’ could understand him. When Okewas was mad, he gave bad weather. So, to keep him calm, the tribe would offer food and tobacco. Okewas was even said to have come from forests and create the occasional man. The other theory about creation is that a hare created everything. And at the very beginning of time, when the hare created people, he put them in a sack. First the winds tried to blow the sack from him, but the hare didn’t let that happen. But, he spread some deer hairs over the land, making each and everyone of them into a deer before releasing one women and one man into each country. Temple’s were created for praying to Okewas and other gods. When someone was to have died, it was believed that they went to a great place to be along side the gods and share a home with them. It was quite typical for the gods to be referred to as ‘he’, and were supposed to resemble men as well. And sometimes, healing ceremonies were held were the Powhatan’s would do the ever-so-famous hoop dances.
Whenever the Powhatan’s weren’t hunting, making clothes, gathering food and so on, they enjoyed many different pastimes, some similar to ours. Sometimes they played a lacrosse-like game, or sometimes even a stick counting game. They even played a card game with the rules similar to that of poker where they bet bows, arrows, beads, etc. Women would garden, but that wasn’t as much of a pastime as it was a chore. Men would also make tools and weapons from animal parts, rock, wood and even the occasional seashell.
The Powhatan arts took a fairly big place in the Powhatan culture. Women would weave baskets and made pottery, cord and rope. The women would also take the skins of the animals that the men had hunted and killed and would preserve them for making clothes later on. After the women were to have made the pottery, they would set them in the sun to dry.
By Alexa
Whenever the Powhatan’s weren’t hunting, making clothes, gathering food and so on, they enjoyed many different pastimes, some similar to ours. Sometimes they played a lacrosse-like game, or sometimes even a stick counting game. They even played a card game with the rules similar to that of poker where they bet bows, arrows, beads, etc. Women would garden, but that wasn’t as much of a pastime as it was a chore. Men would also make tools and weapons from animal parts, rock, wood and even the occasional seashell.
The Powhatan arts took a fairly big place in the Powhatan culture. Women would weave baskets and made pottery, cord and rope. The women would also take the skins of the animals that the men had hunted and killed and would preserve them for making clothes later on. After the women were to have made the pottery, they would set them in the sun to dry.
By Alexa
17th Century England homes
The the people that had the most money also non for wealthy housing are called halls, houses, manors, castles and or loges. Wealthy men were in one hall by them selfs. Back in the early 17th century furniture was plain, heavy and mad out of walnut mahogany, the chairs got more comfortable as time when’t on. it depends on what house hold you live in if you have a fire place in both or one side of your hall. Most wealthy people had grandfather clocks in the home. If you have a much wealthier family then you wold have more stuff.
Non-wealthy also now a day we call the poor. Non-wealthy people homes were make of wood, stone, bricks, or rebuilt. Furniture were plain and basic. Non-wealthy had glass windows as well as wealthy. In the early 17th century were only casement windows made and were introduced. In the late 17th century slash window starter being made and, became more popular. In the winter they put holes in there roof to let the smoke from the chimneys out.
Malisha S.
Non-wealthy also now a day we call the poor. Non-wealthy people homes were make of wood, stone, bricks, or rebuilt. Furniture were plain and basic. Non-wealthy had glass windows as well as wealthy. In the early 17th century were only casement windows made and were introduced. In the late 17th century slash window starter being made and, became more popular. In the winter they put holes in there roof to let the smoke from the chimneys out.
Malisha S.
England in the 1600, Pastimes and Fine Arts
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in England in the 1600s? Well, I’m here to tell you about some of their pastimes and fine arts. For a little backround on England back then, it was a time of peace and prosperity and the Puritans (people who wanted to eliminate pleasure from everyday life) were making their mark on England’s theater. New changes were making their mark on England, and I’m here to tell you about them.
Fine Arts
Many fine arts were popular in England at the time, like the theater. The theater in England protruded into the audience, so the audience was able to get a full view of things, which started to get more interesting when they started using props and scenery in the early1600. The costumes that they wore were very colorful and were meant to hold the audience’s attention in wonder and awe. Costumes were very expensive, so if you weren’t a main character, you would probably wear clothes from your own time period.
Women were not allowed to perform in the theater until 1656, and then it was only for private performances. So that would mean if you went to see “Romeo and Juliet” in England in the early 1600s, you would see a boy playing Juliet! Speaking of “Romeo and Juliet”, tragedies were popular in England at the time, as were comedies. What a comical combination! But if you wanted to see a play, you had to see it when it was performed, because plays would usually not be performed repeatedly.
Sadly, in 1642 the Puritans were able to ban theater completely, until it became popular again in 1660.
Pastimes
There were many different pastimes in England in the 1600s. Some traditional games continued, like cards or bowls (land bowling), and tennis and a form of badminton. They would also play board games, like draughts (or checkers), chess, and backgammon. If you were rich, you might have enjoyed a pleasant game of pale-maille, a game played in a long alley with an iron ring at the end, so it was like croquet with one hoop. The poorer population favored “sports” like bull/bear fighting or cock fighting. Charles II also make yachting (racing in boats) popular, a sport that still goes on today. People also started reading the newspaper, because the first English newspaper was printed in 1626.
By Gigi
Ashanti people
Julian B.
November 7, 2010
English/History
The Ashanti People
West Africa by Katie
West Africa
Katie
Ghana was a very prosperous city in West Africa. Ghana was founded by the Soninke tribe, and the Soninke knew how to make tools out of iron (this was considered a feat, since we are talking about ancient times). Gold was very important to Ghana, since Ghana’s power rested on trade. Gold was Ghana’s main export, which they traded for salt. Slaves were sold, and slaves tended to be other Africans. The brighter side, though, is that most slaves could buy or earn their freedom. In 1235, Ghana was conquered by invaders from Mali, and Islam was introduced to the Soninke.
Religion played a very important role for the people of Ghana. Before Islam was introduced to Ghana, their religion had a Creator and different gods and goddesses. They believed that all things had spirits, and they believed in their ancestors’s spirits and prayed to them. Everyday activities such as farming were considered religious practices.
The people of Ghana were talented musicians, and call-and-response was a popular form of music. Celebratory dances could go on for days. Stories were very significant to the West Africans, and the stories they told often contained morals. Proverbs were important as well.
Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali, traveled around and gave gold to people. In doing so, he basically got himself (and Ghana) the title of one of the greatest empires of Africa. The Emperor protected salt and gold trade, and started taxing people who wanted to trade.
As you can see, Ghana can easily be called one of the most prosperous cities in Ancient West Africa.
The people of Ghana had a starch-dominated diet. Spices such as chiles, Cubeb peppers, grains of paradise, and Ashanti peppers were used frequently in dishes to spice up the meals. The West Africans ate various stews, and since bread was rare, starches that could be found were used in the stews. The main grains that were used were Millet and sorghum. Rice, wheat, and beans, weren’t as common as Millet and sorghum, but they were still more common than bread. A great crop was a cereal called fonia, and fonia was an exceptional crop because it didn’t die in times of drought. Also, red palm and peanut oil were good sources of fat. Basically, the West Africans ate lots of seasoned starches.
In Ancient West Africa, there was no wheeled transportation. Instead, when pack animals were available, they were used for transporting things. Often times, camels were used for delivering food and clothing. Most of the time, West Africans simply walked where they needed to go. There are two theories for why the West Africans didn’t have wheeled transportation; either just out of simply not investing time into research for creating wheeled transportation, or it was just considered economically useless.
The people of West Africa had many different pastimes. Many of these pastimes were considered fine arts. People often wrote poems, sang various songs of praise, danced, told stories, created pottery and art, and wove. The people of West Africa were very artistic.
The people of Ghana may have had very simple homes, but were very affective in the hot, arid climate of the desert. They lived in houses called “Togo huts.” Togo huts were cone shaped, had poles, and could often be described as mud cylinders. The roof was gabbled, and was in the shape of a pyramid. Despite the simpleness of the Togo hut, it proved to be a great house for people who lived in a scorching environment.
The Ancient West Africans had a very effective government. Each village governed itself, and clan government was based on family ties. Sometimes the heads of the government of the village were the village elders, while others it could’ve been the chief. In either situation, the heads of the village made decisions for their village, but the village’s inhabitants could also voice their opinion before a new law was issued.
In the government, the Osu Caste System was used. The Osu System came from the original people’s religious beliefs. This system discriminated against “the ‘Osus’ people as ‘owned by deities’ and outcasts.” Other systems in other parts of the country divided people by jobs and ethnic ties. For example, the Mande System calls jonow slave castes as subordinate. Another example includes the Wolof Caste System in Senegal, which divided people into three groups; the Geer (freeborn and noblemen), the Jaam (slaves and slave descendants), and the Neeno (outcasts).
As you can probably tell, the West Africans may have had a complex government, but it must have worked very well because of its outcome...
Earning the title as one of the Greatest African Empires.
Katie
Ghana was a very prosperous city in West Africa. Ghana was founded by the Soninke tribe, and the Soninke knew how to make tools out of iron (this was considered a feat, since we are talking about ancient times). Gold was very important to Ghana, since Ghana’s power rested on trade. Gold was Ghana’s main export, which they traded for salt. Slaves were sold, and slaves tended to be other Africans. The brighter side, though, is that most slaves could buy or earn their freedom. In 1235, Ghana was conquered by invaders from Mali, and Islam was introduced to the Soninke.
Religion played a very important role for the people of Ghana. Before Islam was introduced to Ghana, their religion had a Creator and different gods and goddesses. They believed that all things had spirits, and they believed in their ancestors’s spirits and prayed to them. Everyday activities such as farming were considered religious practices.
The people of Ghana were talented musicians, and call-and-response was a popular form of music. Celebratory dances could go on for days. Stories were very significant to the West Africans, and the stories they told often contained morals. Proverbs were important as well.
Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali, traveled around and gave gold to people. In doing so, he basically got himself (and Ghana) the title of one of the greatest empires of Africa. The Emperor protected salt and gold trade, and started taxing people who wanted to trade.
As you can see, Ghana can easily be called one of the most prosperous cities in Ancient West Africa.
The people of Ghana had a starch-dominated diet. Spices such as chiles, Cubeb peppers, grains of paradise, and Ashanti peppers were used frequently in dishes to spice up the meals. The West Africans ate various stews, and since bread was rare, starches that could be found were used in the stews. The main grains that were used were Millet and sorghum. Rice, wheat, and beans, weren’t as common as Millet and sorghum, but they were still more common than bread. A great crop was a cereal called fonia, and fonia was an exceptional crop because it didn’t die in times of drought. Also, red palm and peanut oil were good sources of fat. Basically, the West Africans ate lots of seasoned starches.
In Ancient West Africa, there was no wheeled transportation. Instead, when pack animals were available, they were used for transporting things. Often times, camels were used for delivering food and clothing. Most of the time, West Africans simply walked where they needed to go. There are two theories for why the West Africans didn’t have wheeled transportation; either just out of simply not investing time into research for creating wheeled transportation, or it was just considered economically useless.
The people of West Africa had many different pastimes. Many of these pastimes were considered fine arts. People often wrote poems, sang various songs of praise, danced, told stories, created pottery and art, and wove. The people of West Africa were very artistic.
The people of Ghana may have had very simple homes, but were very affective in the hot, arid climate of the desert. They lived in houses called “Togo huts.” Togo huts were cone shaped, had poles, and could often be described as mud cylinders. The roof was gabbled, and was in the shape of a pyramid. Despite the simpleness of the Togo hut, it proved to be a great house for people who lived in a scorching environment.
The Ancient West Africans had a very effective government. Each village governed itself, and clan government was based on family ties. Sometimes the heads of the government of the village were the village elders, while others it could’ve been the chief. In either situation, the heads of the village made decisions for their village, but the village’s inhabitants could also voice their opinion before a new law was issued.
In the government, the Osu Caste System was used. The Osu System came from the original people’s religious beliefs. This system discriminated against “the ‘Osus’ people as ‘owned by deities’ and outcasts.” Other systems in other parts of the country divided people by jobs and ethnic ties. For example, the Mande System calls jonow slave castes as subordinate. Another example includes the Wolof Caste System in Senegal, which divided people into three groups; the Geer (freeborn and noblemen), the Jaam (slaves and slave descendants), and the Neeno (outcasts).
As you can probably tell, the West Africans may have had a complex government, but it must have worked very well because of its outcome...
Earning the title as one of the Greatest African Empires.
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