North American Native American Settlement

1
North American Native American Settlement
The United States had been settled by many
distinct Native American tribes prior to European
colonization. Evidence shows that the tribes
inhabited each of the regions that are part of
the current United States. It is believed that
the continent's original inhabitants arrived
between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, after
crossing a "land bridge" between Asia and North
America. They settled in a different manner than
later colonists in that rarely did they settle in
permanent grounds. While some set up long
standing establishments, most lived in a
semi-nomadic manner where the tribe would move
according to the season and availability of food
and would return to places of past habitation.
Their lifestyles varied greatly.

1. Summarize the information to the left into a
   single, meaningful paragraph that includes AT
   LEAST 3 specific details.
2. Map activity How many distinct tribes do you
   see? List the ones that you recognize by name.

2
European Colonial Introduction
Life for North American Indians began to change
with the arrival of Europeans. While explorers
from other regions of the world likely landed in
North America earlier, it was Christopher
Columbus' voyage to the "New World" in 1492 that
signaled the true beginning of European
colonization of the continent. European colonies
existed in North America from the end of the 15th
century (1400s) until the 19th century (1800s)
... a period of more than 300 years.Europeans
were interested in colonizing North America for a
variety of reasons to acquire fabulous riches
like gold and silver, to escape poverty, to find
religious freedom, to convert Native Americans to
Christianity, or simply to find adventure and new
opportunities. Soon after they arrived, the
European colonists began to import enslaved
Africans. Although European colonies existed in
several of the regions of North America, many
areas were largely uninhabited by Europeans and
remained home to Native American tribes for many
years while colonies developed

• 3. Summarize the information to the left into a
  single, meaningful paragraph that includes AT
  LEAST 3 specific details.
• 4. Map activity How many European colonies
  were involved in the colonization of the
  Americas? List the 3 that appear to have claimed
  the most territory.

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Spanish Colonies
During the period from the mid-16th century
(1500s) to the 19th century (1800s), the Spanish
controlled large areas of the modern-day
Southwest and West Coast of the United
States.  Florida was originally colonized by the
Spanish and includes St. Augustine, the oldest
permanent European colony in North America. The
Spanish also controlled large areas in the
modern-day states of Texas,California, and New
Mexico. They established a network of military
and religious outposts across these territories,
which were often named after Roman Catholic
saints. The word for saint in Spanish is "san" or
"santa." Many modern-day cities in these states
San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and and San Antonio
can trace their origins to Spanish
colonists.  After the Treaty of Paris at the end
of the French and Indian War (1763), the Spanish
also laid claim to the large French colony known
as Louisiana, which encompassed the modern-day
states of Louisiana, Arkansas,Oklahoma, Missouri, 
Kansas, Nebraska,Iowa, Minnesota, N S
Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Idaho.
Few Spanish colonists lived in these areas, which
were primarily inhabited by Indian tribes. In
1800, France regained Louisiana from the
Spanish. 
5. Summarize the information to the left into a
single, meaningful paragraph that includes AT
LEAST 3 specific details. 6. Map activity
Identify 10 current states that Spain DID NOT
have a claim on.
4
Dutch Colonies
In 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson, searching
for a passage to the Indies on behalf of the
Dutch East India Company, sailed up the river
later named for him the Hudson. He claimed the
land on either side of the river for the Dutch,
who began colonizing the territory they named New
Netherland. In 1624, the Dutch established their
first permanent settlement, Fort Orange, on the
site of present-day Albany, New York. The Dutch
founded New Amsterdam at the mouth of the Hudson
River, on the southern end of Manhattan island
(present-day New York City), and in 1626, traded
for the entire island from the local Indians.
Other Dutch settlements in New Netherland
included forts in New Jersey and at the present
site of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.In 1664, New
Amsterdam's governor, Peter Stuyvesant,
surrendered the colony to the English colonel
Richard Nicolls, who renamed it New York for his
patron, the Duke of York.
7. Summarize the information to the left into a
single, meaningful paragraph that includes AT
LEAST 3 specific details. 8. Map activity What
does this map demonstrate about the effect that
geographic features can have on colonial
development?
5
French Colonies
The French established their first colonies in
North America in the 17th century (1600s), many
in modern-day Canada. They were primarily
designed to produce and provide goods such as
furs and sugar for export.  The French
established forts, trading posts, and settlements
in the areas surrounding the Great Lakes and up
and down the Mississippi River, including the
huge colony of Louisiana. The territory
encompassed the modern-day states of Louisiana,
Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas,
 Oklahoma, Missouri, the Dakotas, Wyoming,
Montana, Colorado, and Idaho. The region was
named after the French King Louis XIV. Its
capital, New Orleans, at the mouth of the
Mississippi River, was founded in 1718. After
the Treaty of Paris at the end of the French and
Indian War (1763), the French surrendered
Louisiana to the Spanish. They regained control
of the colony in 1800, and three years later,
Napoleon sold it to the young United States. This
sale, which ignored the Indian tribes who
inhabited the land, became known as the Louisiana
Purchase.  French forts and trading posts were
built at the sites of what later became
well-known American cities, such as Baton
Rouge, Louisiana Detroit,Michigan
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Natchez and
Biloxi, Mississippi. 
9. Summarize the information to the left into a
single, meaningful paragraph that includes AT
LEAST 3 specific details. 10. Map Activity
Looking at the area of the Louisiana Purchase,
what do you think the USA would have become if
Napoleon didnt sell the land?