Queen Njinga Mbande - African Women You Need to Know

Studying the slave trade in World History?

Here's an excellent short clip about the Angolan Queen Njinga Mbande. She led the Mbundu people in present day Angola in the 17th century. She negotiated with the Portuguese and fought against them to protect her country's independence, which is why she is known as the "warrior queen."

And when the she first negotiated with the Portuguese, she refused to sit on the floor while her counterpart sat in an armchair. Her maid couched all fours so the queen could sit on her back and face her Portuguese counterpart on equal footing!