Widespread and protracted Islamist violence in the Western Sahel raises questions regarding the history of the phenomenon. This study compares and contrasts Islamic militancy under the leadership of Dan Fodio (Sokoto) and El Hajj Umar Tall (Tukolor) during the nineteenth century with Mohammed Yusuf’s Boko Haram since 2002. The research zone is confined to the states of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, and Senegal. Demonstrating connections between two eras when the phenomenon has been most intense reveals key ideological and methodological patterns. Paying attention to motivation, method, and the ways in which earlier movements disbanded offers a template for effective counter-terrorism measures.