The First Americans
The First Americans
The first Americans needed to adapt
to their environment in order to
survive.
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The cultures developed by these
first Americans reflected the
environments in which they lived.
I. Human Migration to the Americas
Widely believed that the first Americans arrived during
the last ice age (15,000-30,000 years ago)
► Glaciers locked up water from oceans and caused sea
levels to fall; therefore, land that had been under water
was uncovered
► A land bridge (called Beringia) joining Siberia in Asia to
Alaska in North America was revealed
► Scientists believe that the first Americans followed the
herds of animals that they hunted across this land bridge
from Asia into North America
► The continual search for better hunting grounds led
these early Americans across North America, Central
America, and South America
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II.
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Studying the First Americans
Archaeologists study artifacts to learn about past
cultures
Types of artifacts can include weapons, tools, pottery,
tombstones, baskets, and bones
By studying artifacts, archaeologists can learn much
about the people who made them
After examining artifacts, archaeologists form theories
about past cultures (entire way of life that a people has
developed)
III.
North American Culture Areas
A culture area is a region in which people share a similar
way of life
► There were 10 major culture areas in North America
► Within each culture area there were many different
tribes (group of villages that share common customs,
languages, and rituals)
► The people living in these culture areas needed to adapt
to their environment to survive
► Examples of North American culture areas were the
Arctic, Southwest, Great Plains, and Eastern Woodlands
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A. The Arctic
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Very cold, snowy, treeless, icy plains
Native Americans, like the Inuits, used their limited
resources to survive
Collected driftwood to make tools and shelter
Built igloos out of snow and ice
Paddled kayaks into the sea to hunt for seals, whales
and walruses or moved inland and hunted caribou or
fished
Religious beliefs reflected their close ties to the natural
world. They believed each animal had a spirit and they
offered gifts to animals they wished to catch and sang
songs of thanks after successful hunts.
B. The Southwest
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Hot, dry desert
Early cultures like the Anasazis and Hohokams
developed vast irrigation systems in order to farm
Used stone and adobe to build large, multi-storied
houses that could shelter hundreds of families
Descendants of the Anasazis (the Pueblos) also built
adobe houses and farmed
Religious beliefs of the Pueblos often reflected the
importance of farming; held ceremonies to ensure
rainfall and good crops
Pueblos traced their family lines through their mothers,
Pueblo wives owned most of the family property, and
after marrying, a man went to live with his wife’s family
C. The Great Plains
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Vast grasslands that stretched from the Rocky Mountains
to the Mississippi River
People made their homes of sod, or built tepees using the
hides of buffalo
Women used animal bones to make hoes which they used
for farming corn, beans, squash and sunflowers
Men hunted animals, including buffalo, antelope, deer, elk,
and bighorn sheep
During the 1700s, they began to tame wild horses that had
been introduced to North America by Europeans during the
1500s
Each village had a ruling council that included the best
hunters
D. The Eastern Woodlands
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Included the Northeastern part of present-day U.S. (from
Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River) and eastern parts of
present-day Canada
Many trees, lakes, and rivers
Forested region had an abundance of plant and animal
resources
Native Americans used trees to build longhouses or
wigwams
Fished, hunted, and farmed for food
This culture area was home to two powerful groups of
Native Americans: the Iroquois and Algonquins
Quiz Questions
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Where did the first Americans come from, how did they
arrive in the Americas, and why did they travel here?
How do archaeologists learn about the past, and what
are three types of artifacts that they study?
Why did many different cultures develop in North
America?
Explain two ways the Inuits adapted to their
environment.
Explain two ways the Pueblos adapted to their
environment.
How does geography affect how and where people live?