Bianka Sacks
Ms. O’Keefe
Global History Narrative
Voice for your story:
Voice- First person.
His journey will be written through one long letter to his brother
Who are you?
A boy merchant named Michael Abram (25 years old)
Travels on sea routes Where are you from?
City prospered from 1300-1505
Kilwa Kisiwani (East Africa)
Kilwa is a trading port and trade brought them wealth
Local chiefs were able to tax the trade and control it -- which made them powerful
Cities grow in wealth, and new grand public buildings, including mosques, were constructed
Mosque of Kilwa demonstrated wealth the Indian Ocean Trade brought to the city and the bleeding of African and Islamic culture
The city of Kilwa shows the growth of Swahili culture…show more content… I woke up with a frightened feeling, and my heart skipped a few beats, but at the same time, I was excited to go on a journey of a lifetime. I needed to leave the household and clear my mind, I wanted to be able to explore other places and cultures. I tried to say goodbye to mother and father, but they ignored me, as they usually do. Our crew traveled on a treasure ship, which is one of the largest ships, that can carry many individuals. On the ship, there were lots of men and a few younger boys. I got along well with the other men, but I stayed away from a few. The captain of our ship was Captain Louie, he was a safe man, who was an expert on monsoon winds. He traveled many times before and used many interesting technologies to navigate his way on the water. Monsoon winds are alternating wind currents that blow in different directions, based on the seasons. We traveled at the perfect time because we followed the summer winds that blew eastward, which made it easier to travel to Calicut. Captain Louie, also taught us about the new advancements in technology, that can help someone understand winds and currents, and in sail design, the technology made ocean trade easier, faster, and cheaper. We learned about the magnetic compass, which is used to distinguish what way you are traveling in. Another technology we learned about was the lateen sail, a triangular sail used to tack against the wind. Using this helped our ship move faster, and get on a steady pace. Lastly, he taught us about the astrolabe, which is useful because it measures location, time, and distance. These new advanced technologies, helped us travel to Calicut in an easy and organized way. The journey took about a month, with no stops. We sailed easily for the first few days, but it wasn’t long before a neighboring ship let us know about the danger ahead. On the other ship, the crew members were so sure they were going to get robbed, and so they