Chapter 1.docx - Chapter 1 America before it was the New...

Chapter 1
America before it was the New World
New Evvidence Suggests that humans arrived in North America between 18000 and 40000 years
ago
Theories of how people immigrated here from Asia include the land bridge called “Bergingia
´ that linked Siberia and Alaska. Based on linguistic evidence it is though there were 3 main
waves of migration.
It is possible that the other people sailed across the Atlantic from Southwestern Europe
Pre Columbian Indian Civilizations
The first peoples in North America discovered an immense continent with extraordinary climatic
and environmental diversity.
By 1492 there were hundreds of tribes living in North America with an estimated 10 million
people, more than 400 languages were spoken.
Created trading networks that helped spread ideas, married people from other tribes,, and also
engaged in warfare against other groups
Southwest
In what is today the Southwest of the United States, several advanced agricultural civilizations
flourished- among them the Hohokam, Mogollon and the Anasazi (Pueblo) peoples.
The Anasazi are known for their cliff dwellings, hundreds of individual apartments carved in the
sides of sandstone cliffs, and for innovative irrigation of their crops in the water-starved desert.
The height of the Anasazi sophistication peaked around 1100 AD.
Mississippians
Contemporaneous with the Anasazi of the southwest were the miss. Cultures, which arose in the
central river valley and along its tributaries. The Mississippians are generally considered one of
the most highly sophisticated cultures of pre-Columbian North America
Texas Tribes
West-apache Central-Tonka
North-Commanche
East-caddo

Early Native American Culture
Developed nature-centered religions
Masstered use of fire, improved hunting tools like spears, and domesticated dogs and turkeys
Culture underwent a change with the development of farming(maize, beans, squash, chilli
peppers, avocados, and pumpkins) were all grown. This led to increased population and allowed
for specialization of labor, complex architecture, detailed record keeping, improved irrigation
techniques, better pottery, and ceramics.
MesoAmerican and Andean Civilizations
Aztec, Mayan, Inca
Maya lived in southern Mexico and Guatemala. Advanced in Sccience, astronomy, and math.
Aztecs lived in central mexico and built stonework, pyramids, and temples.
Incas lived in the Andes Mountains in South America and connected their empire through an
extensive road system
MesoAmerica
In now what is now southern mexico and Central America
Rain forests cover the region
Fertile soil made this a good area for ffarming
People first appeared in this area around 12000 BC
Maize being grown around 3500 BC
Mayans
Rulers calimed to be descendants form the Gods
Mayan society had townspeople who were artisans, officials, ad merchants.