American Beginnings to 1783

Chapter 1

Key Ideas •

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Arrival• Main migration was years ago

– (some historians argue as long as 40,000)

• Over land bridge• ( )

• Moved and through Americas following wildlife– 12,000 years ago Ice Age animals disappeared turned to

smaller game– 5,000 years ago animals were domesticated

Bering Land Bridge

( )

Animation of Bering Land Bridge

Manley, W.F., 2002, Postglacial Flooding of the Bering Land Bridge: A Geospatial Animation: INSTAAR, University of Colorado, v1, http://instaar.colorado.edu/QGISL/bering_land_bridge.

http://instaar.colorado.edu/QGISL/bering_land_bridge/

Migration Across Bering Land Bridge ( ) south and east

5B 29

5B 30

5B 11

Native Culture by 1500’s•

– (high estimates of 100m)

• 3-4 m north of Rio Grande• Present day US/Canada =

– Europe had 70-90 m– Africa had 50-70 m

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– Farming (ex. Pueblos)• Irrigation• Slash and burn/clearing land

– Logging– Architecture

• Mound builders (ex. Mississippi)– Large mound in MS over 100 ft high,

largest earthen structure in world

World Populations

55

80

60Americas

Europe

Africa

•Mayans in Yucatan

•Incas in Peru

•Aztecs in Mesoamerica

Amerindians

North American Native Cultures

• Diverse societies semi-sedentary/semi-nomadic– Mixed economies

• Farming, hunting, gathering• Trade networks

– Built villages/towns– Diverse languages– Religious beliefs