A summary of the course of Islam's development in America, from the first explorers to slavery to proto-Islamic movements to the foundation of nation-wide orthodox Sunni organizations. This article remains a work in progress.
 

 In 1312 Mansa Abu Bakr of Mali is believed to have traveled from the Senegambian region of the African coast to the Gulf of Mexico.
 

 It is believed that Mansa Abu Bakr of Mali traveled to the Gulf of Mexico in 1312.
Ethno-linguistic analysis shows connections between certain peoples of the West African coast and the native Americans living in the Gulf of Mexico region of the Americas. The evidence is controversial and fragmentary, and not accepted by all scholars.