Early Settlement of North America
Episode 3412
www.civiced.org/60-second-civics
Podcast Transcript
Welcome to 60-Second Civics, the daily podcast of the Center for Civic Education. I’m Mark Gage.
The first known European settlement in North America was a small, short-lived Viking community at
L’Anse aux Meadows, in what is now Newfoundland, Canada.
This happened around the year 1000, nearly 500 years before Columbus.
By the early 1600s, the English were keen to catch up with the Spanish and Dutch, who had already
established North American colonies.
In fact, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was in St. Augustine,
Florida, which was established by Spain in 1565.
Of course, for thousands of years, major Native American settlements existed in what would become
the United States.
One such settlement is Cahokia in what is today southern Illinois.
This was a large city that was established in roughly 1050 A.D.
It had a population of approximately 15,000 people, which was larger than many European cities at the
time, and was a major trading center.
Cahokia was abandoned, however, around to 1400 A.D, perhaps due to environmental changes that
made life elsewhere more appealing.
That’s all for today’s podcast.
The show’s theme song is “Complacent” by Cheryl B. Engelhardt. You can find Cheryl online at cbemusic.com.
60-Second Civics, where civic education only takes a minute.
Copyright Center for Civic Education. May be duplicated for classroom use. www.civiced.org
Early Settlement of North America
Episode 3412
www.civiced.org/60-second-civics
Podcast Quiz
Which large Native American city was located in what today is southern Illinois?
A. L’Anse aux Meadows
B. Cahokia
C. St. Augustine
D. Newfoundland
Copyright Center for Civic Education. May be duplicated for classroom use. www.civiced.org