KS3 Britain's Black history : the obelisk

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Historian Tony Warner shows how you can discover where to find Black History in your town or city. Here Tony uncovers the African influence in a typical city square. It's something you ll find in m...

Historian Tony Warner shows how you can discover where to find Black History in your town or city. Here Tony uncovers the African influence in a typical city square. It's something you ll find in many English squares, cemeteries and memorials; it's got spiritual significance; and it's an ancient African design. You can find imitation obelisks like this one all around Britain, most often in key locations. The original obelisks date back thousands of years to Africa where they were placed outside temples, probably as symbols of rebirth; so it's interesting that they now commonly appear in cemeteries and in particular at war memorials. Can you find an obelisk near you? Why is it there?

Historian Tony Warner shows how you can discover where to find Black History in your town or city. Just like today, back in the 1700's the busiest trading areas of most British cities also had a high proportion of coffee houses; but the growth and popularity of coffee coincided with one of the darkest episodes in Britain's history. Around the financial or market area of any town or city you might still find evidence of these early coffee houses. With the growth in popularity of the coffee houses, there also came a demand for sugar and tobacco; and the British economic power base came to rely on triangular trade. Docklands, rivers or canals are often rich hunting grounds for evidence of trading connections with Africa and the Caribbean. In your local area are there any African or Caribbean place names?

Historian Tony Warner shows how you can discover where to find Black History in your town or city. Most of Britain's towns and cities have a trading or financial area and it's in these areas that you ll often find rich evidence of Black History. Here Tony visits the Bank of England and handles a real solid gold bar. But Where did this gold come from? Some of Britain's earliest trading power came from a wealth of gold extracted from Africa. One of the first British mass-produced gold coins takes its name from the region of West Africa from which much of the gold used to make the coin originated.

Historian Tony Warner shows how you can discover where to find Black History in your town or city. Many people believe that the first Black people to arrive in Britain were slaves or servants. However, if you look through British history there's evidence of influential African and Caribbean people back through the centuries. One of the earliest recorded images of an African in Britain is a Black trumpeter depicted on the Westminster Tournament Roll of 1511. This musician was probably from North Africa and was employed by both Henry the 7th and Henry the 8th. By the late 16th century, trade had opened up between West Africa and Britain and Africans began to settle in Britain, becoming part of the population--especially in seafaring places like Bristol, London, Liverpool and Glasgow. Black men and women made appearances in the diaries of Samuel Pepys and in 18th century portraits. Can you find the names and pictures of other prominent Black Britons of the 17th and 18th Century?

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