“…Specifically, the transition from cool mid‐Holocene SSTs in the tropical Pacific, which are typical of La Niña conditions, to warmer conditions and more El Niño events (e.g., Carré et al., 2014; Clement et al., 2000; Sandweiss et al., 1996, 2009) offers explanations for transitions from fewer to more frequent heavy rainfall events over the Andes (e.g., Moy et al., 2002; Rodbell et al., 1999), and for changing amounts and intensity of precipitation in the southeastern (Donders et al., 2005), midwestern (e.g., Knox, 2000), and southwestern USA (e.g., Ely, 1997; Ely et al., 1993). We have previously followed this latter approach of treating present‐day teleconnections as templates for understanding past climate (e.g., Gill et al., 2016, 2017; Molnar & Cane, 2002, 2007; Molnar & Rajagopalan, 2012, 2020; Wycech et al., 2020), and we do so again here. Our target is SST variation over the North Atlantic since 5 Ma, and possible impacts of those changing SSTs on African rainfall.…”