Three Worlds Meet Chapter 1- The First Americans Why they came, where they came from and where they settled ◦ 22,000 years ago the first people came to live in North America Ice Age ◦ 10,000 years ago massive sheets of Ice covered the North American Continent ◦ Land Bridge  Connected Asia and North America  This land bridge was called Beringia

People of Mesoamerica Olmecs ◦ 1200 BC and AD 600 was a strong settlement in Mexico Mayans ◦ AD 250 Mayans built a huge civilization in today Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico ◦ Still today the ruins of their temples and pyramids remain

People of Mesoamerica Toltecs ◦ AD 900 the Toltecs ruled in the Mexican Highlands ◦ The ruins of their main city Tula show several temples  Experts believe nomads took over the Toltecs and formed the Aztec civilization

People of Mesoamerica Aztecs ◦ AD 1200 the Aztec civilization began to form  Ruled a large part of central and southern Mexico  Main city was Tenochtitlan (now Mexico city)

People of Mesoamerica Incas ◦ AD 1200 Incas started a kingdom in southern Peru in South American  Good builders, lawmakers, and warriors

Southwestern Peoples Hohokam (Arizona) ◦ 300 BC the Hohokam became farmers with miles of irrigation canals for watering crops Mogollon (Southeastern Arizona and southern NM) ◦ 200 BC Mogollons were also farmers, first peoples to make pottery Anasazi (Arizona, NM, Utah, Colorado) ◦ AD 100 the Anasazi were “Cliff Dwellers”

Mound Builders 700 BC to AD 300 the Hopewell mound builders thrived ◦ Built animals shape mounds to honor their dead

Mississippi, Plains, and NW Civilizations Burial grounds have been found in lower Mississippi River Valley which are believed to have been built in 4500 BC Mississippians Plains Indians ( 250 BC) ◦ Nomadic people Pacific NW (AD 400) ◦ Lived near shoreline villages ◦ Further north were the Eskimo and Inuit