Many Cultures Meet American Indians, Europeans, West Africans

 First people of the Americas - Paleo-Indians *historians believe these people came from Siberia

 Two Theories 1. Ice Age - 15,000 years ago - time lasting thousands of years during which the Earth was covered by ice and glaciers - sea levels fell and exposed a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska - people crossed the land bridge for resources

2. Migration - 40,000 years ago - people traveled from Asia on small boats along the west coasts of North and South America

 When temperatures began to rise and we start to see a change in climate…. -the environment became more diverse - new hunting techniques emerged - population grew and expanded

 Groups begin to divide - different languages begin to form - tribes and nations develop - hunting territories emerge *Each group would be headed by a chief- who was usually advised by a council of elders

 Central Mexico - 3,500 years ago - domestication of wild plants (corn, beans, etc.) - permanent settlements

 Aztec Empire - Tenochtitlan (capital city) - began as a nomadic tribe from the north - known for cultivation and irrigation system - caste system

 Maya Empire - located along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coast - covered mainly the Yucatan Peninsula and what is now today, Guatemala (Mesoamerica)

 Maya Empire - excelled in… *agriculture *pottery *hieroglyph writing *calendar-making *mathematics

 1200 A.D. - crop cultivation spread northward. - some people continued with traditional mix of hunting, gathering and fishing (cold and dry regions)

North America Map 1. Using your textbook, identify/divide the different regions of North America that Native Americans settled *Color each region on the map* *Maps on pages 1188 and 1189 will help you find and locate the region* 2. List important facts/information for each region *At least 3 facts for each region 3. Draw an image that represents each region *This assignment will be collected for a grade

 Northwest - present day Washington and Oregon state - parts of Canada - abundant resources - primary source of food is waterways  The Southwest - north of present-day Mexico - arid climate - irrigation systems and canals

 The Great Plains - arid grassland - located between Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River - mobile camps - nomads

 Eastern Woodlands - Appalachian Mountains - areas located from eastern Texas to Atlantic Ocean. - Northeast- seasonal temperature - Southeast- mild winters /warm summers

 Iroquois - lived in northeastern woodlands - from Atlantic Coast to the Great Lakes

 Iroquois League (Confederacy) - representative – central government - written Constitution *The Great Law of Peace - set of rights/agreements - council - local governments - voting *early colonists borrowed many ideas to create our United States government