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.

Could someone help me with creating the first paragraph and the thesis statement?