African history, from its earliest times to the present, is marked by the emergence of humankind in the continent, the development of powerful kingdoms like Ancient Egypt, the rise and fall of various empires across different regions, the significant impact of the transatlantic slave trade, the period of European colonization, and finally, the struggle for independence and the subsequent development of modern African nations; with much of pre-colonial African history being passed down through oral tradition due tothe lack of widespread written records