In the period from 1200 to 1450 CE, trans-Saharan trade networks influenced state formation in West Africa. Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which the process of West African state formation was influenced by trans-Saharan trade.

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
Support an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
Use historical reasoning (e. g., comparison, causation, continuity or change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt.

(Essay)