Civilizations in the Americas

1
Civilizations in the Americas
2
Land of the Americas

• Two Continents
• Two major mountain ranges
• Rockies
• Andes
• Two great rivers
• Mississippi
• Amazon

3
People of North America

• 4000 bc Inuit peoples move across land bridge
  (Bering Strait)
• Hunters and fisherman
• By 1000 bc villages were formed in the eastern
  woodlands
• Agriculture developed a little slower in America
  than the rest of the world
• Never developed a plow
• Little agricultural use of wheel
• Why? No large animals to use
• Development of corn, squash, and beans as main
  crops

4
Mound Builders

• Hopewell peoples 700 bc-ad 800
• Great Serpent Mound in Ohio
• Mississippians
• 800ad-1200ad
• Fairly large cities and trade networks
• Left no written works
• Disappeared by the time of European contact

5
Life in America

• Eastern Woodlands
• Iroquois
• Farmers---Permanent villages
• Iroquois League
• Plains Indians
• Buffalo
• Nomads---Tepee dwellings

6
Life in America Ctn

• Northwest
• Fisherman
• Lived in villages made of wood
• Environment provided plenty
• Southwest
• Anasazi
• Pueblos
• Mesa Verde Cliff dwelling
• Use of irrigation techniques