Roots of American
History
S
Why study history?
S To Help Us Develop Judgment in Worldly Affairs by
Understanding the Past Behavior of People and Societies
The Earliest Americans
S Where did Native Americans come from?
S The Land Bridge Theory
S
The crossed from Asia to America over glaciers.
S The Coastal Route Theory
S Learning to farm
S They used to be just hunters and gatherers
S 8000 years ago people started to grow plants in Mexico
S They no longer needed to travel to find food
S They used irrigation techniques
S Groups of people then had a surplus of food and these
communities turned into cities.
Three Major American
Civilizations: The Mayas
S Between the years 250 and 900, the Mayas built cities in
what is now Mexico and Central America.
S They built pyramids, created a written language, created a
government, and practiced art. They also created accurate
calendars.
S The Mayas began to disappear in about 900 A.D.
S Many languages in Central America come from the Mayan
language.
The Aztecs
S The Aztecs started to rise as the Mayas fell away.
S Their capital city was Tenochtitlan, where Mexico City is
today. The city was built on a series of islands in a lake.
Considered to be the largest city in the world at that time.
S They farmed on floating platforms on the lake.
S Very religious people. Practiced human sacrifices.
S They spread their empire over most of Mexico.
The Incas
S They had the largest empire in the world during the 1400s
S They lived in South America.
S The Inca capital was Cuzco. They had a great network of
roads to connects cities.
S They were a very rich people.
Cultures of North America
S What is culture? – It’s a way of life
S Mound Builders
S These groups stretched from Appalachia to the Mississippi
S Their structures large mounds of earth
S
Anasazi
S Lived around Utah, Colorado, and northern Arizona
S Built their dwellings into cliffs to protect themselves from
attacking people like the Navajo and the Aztecs
S Built beautiful pottery and jewelry
S The Anasazi mysteriously left their dwelling by the year 1300
Ways of Life
S Meeting Basic Needs:
S Some tribes were hunters and gatherers.
S Others settled in areas where they could farm.
S
They came up with different farming tools.
S
Farming aloud for bigger populations to grow.
S Many different tribes would trade goods with each other.
S They also developed different kinds of currency.
Shared Beliefs
S Most Native Americans shared a close tie to the natural
world.
S Their religion was tied to farming and hunting.
S They also passed down their traditions orally. Some didn’t
have much of a written language.
Native Americans of North
America: Far North
S These people lived harsh, cold
environments all year long.
S They ate fish, birds, whales, and
seals. They also traveled by
kayak.
S They lived in igloos.
North West
S From southern Alaska to
northern California.
S They hunted deer and
bears as well as fished for
salmon.
S Food was very abundant
so the people settled
permanent houses. They
were not farmers.
S They were rather wealthy
and exchanged gifts often
in a potlatch.
Far West
S Warm summers and mild winters allowed these people to
become great farmers.
S Some lived in dug out dirt hills. Others lived in cabin-like
structures.
Southwest
S These people lived in deserts
and also suffered from flash
floods.
S They learned how to farm
S They lived in sun-dried
houses called adobe.
Great Plains
S A vast region spreading
from the Mississippi River
to the Rocky Mountains.
S The people in the river
valley mostly lived off of
farming.
S The others in the middle of
the plains were hunters.
S They followed their food,
buffalo, around.
S They mostly lived in
teepees.
Eastern Woodlands
S They lived in the north eastern US.
S These areas were dense forests.
S The main group of people that lived in this region were the Iroquois.
S They were divided into five nations. These nations were made of different
clans.
S These clans were matriarchal.
S The Iroquois were at war for many years. They finally made peace.
Southeast
S Mild climate, but hot and
humid summers. Very good
for farming.
S Cherokees and Creeks were
the major tribes.
S They lived in wooden
shacks covered in mud.
S Most tribes lived in a strict
class-based society.