International Women’s Month: Week 1

International Women’s Month is upon us (Huzzah)! In celebration, I’m going to be profiling one ~ incredible ~ woman in history every week.

Drumroll for the first woman…. Queen Nzinga!!

Ana Nzinga, also known as Queen Nzinga or Njinga, was a powerful 17th-century ruler of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in present day Angola.

Queen Nzinga was known for her diplomatic prowess and strategic alliances. She was particularly known for her efforts to protect her people from Portuguese slavers. She learned how to read and write in Portuguese in order to effectively communicate with the colonizers.

Not only was Queen Nzinga a skilled diplomat who built relations with neighboring African Kingdoms, but she also went to battle for her people. She was a trained who excelled at using an axe in battle.

In 1644, Nzinga defeated the Portuguese army at the Battle of Ngoleme and continued to push the Portuguese out of her kingdom. by 1648, Nzinga controlled much of the slave trade in her kingdom, thus increasing the economic power of Matamba.

If you want to learn more about Queen Nzinga, check out these books on my Amazong storefront!