America Before “Discovery”
Prehistory to 1492
By: Mr. Michael R. Kahoe
Del Valle High School
Columbus’s landing
Asian Migration to America
100,000 years ago: Ice Age – much of the
ocean water was frozen into huge ice
sheets, or glaciers
As it receded it exposed the Bering Strait
Land Bridge a stretch of ocean floor that
connected Asia to Alaska
It is believed that nomads from Asia crossed
this “bridge” from about 35,000 to 10,000
years ago, when the water levels rose again
Bering Strait Land Bridge
What were they following?
Big Game
Early American Civilizations
Agricultural Revolution

About 5,000 B.C. Native Americans learn
how to plant and grow crops
 Maize, beans & squash
Mesoamerica

Central America where large civilizations
begin to emerge starting around 1500 B.C.
 Olmec
 Mayan
 Aztec
Olmec
First civilization in
Mesoamerica
The Olmec built large
villages, temples and
pyramids
Also sculpted large
monuments including 8
ft. tall heads
Olmec culture lasted
from 1500 B.C. – 300
B.C.
Teotihuacán – first
American city
Olmec head
Mayan
Mayan culture emerged
around 200 A.D. in the
Yucatan Peninsula
Were talented engineers and
mathematicians


Developed accurate calendars
Built large cities (Tikal & Chichén
Itzá)
Mayan Calendar
Thrived until about 900 A.D.
when cities were abandoned

Invasion or over farming may
have played a part
Pyramid at Chichén Itzá
Aztec
Developed around 1300 A.D.
Established the city of
Tenochtitlán, where Mexico Eagle perched on cactus
City stands
Created a mighty civilization
by conquering their
neighbors
By 1500s roughly 5 million
lived under Aztec rule
Aztec warrior
The Anasazi
One of the earliest North American
cultures

Anasazi means “Ancient people” in Navajo
Flourished around A.D. 1100 to 1300
Built large adobe-walled towns in remote
areas
Made artistic pottery and tightly woven
baskets

Often referred to as “The Basket Makers”
Anasazi Ruins
The Mound Builders
Centered in Ohio River Valley
Mounds took decades to build & were
up to seven stories in height

Surrounded by earthwork walls
Cahokia was the largest town

By A.D. 1100 population was ~ 30,000
 No other American town grew to that size until
Philadelphia did 700 years later
Cahokia
More on American Indians
Population of about 54 million Native
Americans by the time Columbus arrives
Around 250 different tribes at that time
At least 2,000 different languages
Native American Tribes
First European Settlers
The Vikings




Raided Europe for about 300
yrs
Looking for new lands to settle
Erik the Red discovered
Greenland and settled there in
985 A.D.
15 years later his son Leif
Erickson landed in
Newfoundland, Canada
 Called the area Vinland
Christopher Columbus