Ghana and the Salt-Gold Trade

​The Empire of Ghana

The Big Idea

The rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling
the salt and gold trade.

Main Ideas

• Ghana controlled trade and became wealthy.

• Through its control of trade, Ghana built an empire.

• Ghana’s decline was caused by attacking invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of trade.

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• Ghana was located south of the Sahara desert, in WEST AFRICA

• Ghana became a powerful state only when it gained control of valuable trade routes.

• Ghana’s rulers gained power and wealth, and the military grew in strength, too. 

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• Silent Barter is a process in which people exchange goods without contacting each other directly.

• In Ghana, traders from the north would cross the Sahara and bring their salt. Gold miners came from the south to trade their gold. Without talking to each other, they would leave their goods and hit drums to signal that they were ready to trade. 

• Every trader that passed through Ghana paid a tax to Ghana’s rulers, making the empire very wealthy.

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• Ghana’s kings used their great wealth to build a powerful army and conquered many of their neighbors, especially ones that had centers of trade...

• Many merchants (traders) felt safe crossing the Sahara in caravans to do business in Ghana and paid the tax to do business in their empire.

• To keep order in the empire, conquered kings were allowed to keep much of their power. They acted as governors of their territories.

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