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Tesfu, Julianna. “Mali Empire.” BlackPast, 29 June 2008, www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/mali-empire-ca-1200/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

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Hill, Richard. “The Mali Empire.” Black History Month 2023, 13 Mar. 2023, www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/african-history/the-mali-empire/#:~:text=1464%2D1492%3A%20Reign%20of%20Sunni,European%20colonialism%20in%20West%20Africa.

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The Mali empire used a social hierarchy that separated people based on their wealth and power. At the top, you had the Emperor, Nobility, and Commoners all the way down to Farmers and Slaves. Most of society were Dogons, a religion believing in synergy between spiritual worlds and ancestors.

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Before the Europeans arrived in Africa, the Mali empire had a very successful economy thanks to its trade and perfect location in Africa. Surrounding rivers facilitated trade and made sure that valuable goods such as gold came their way.

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Mora, Kai. How Timbuktu Flourished During the Golden Age of Islam, 2022, www.history.com/news/timbuktu-mali-africa-islam.

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The Mali empire was formed by a man named Sundiata Keita after he defeated the Kingdom of Sosso. His government prioritized a strong military, diplomacy, and centralized government which allowed for the empire to flourish and expand into the largest Africa had ever seen. Later on, Mansa Musa became the leader of the empire. He gained popularity and support for his efforts in bringing in large amounts of gold and metals through trade and expanding the empire to new heights.

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Once Europeans arrived in Africa, they quickly milked the region of their natural resources; disrupting trade and destroying the Mali empire eventually leading to the empire's demise in 1591.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Cartwright, Mark. “Mali Empire.” World History Encyclopedia, 2019, www.worldhistory.org/Mali_Empire/.

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The Mali Empire began to collapse during the 15th century due to the ill-defined rules regarding the royal succession. This caused many people to turn against the government and their own families in order to lay their claim on the throne. Mali also relied heavily on trade which led them to sell and trade slaves to larger European powers such as Portugal and Spain for large buyouts.

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Once European trade began to move through northern Africa, slaves were traded and sold off to the highest bidder. Also, western European culture and religious beliefs became common in Mali a large portion of the population converted to Christianity and Islam. This caused many traditions, holidays, and cultural norms to be altered.