APUSH Unit 1 (1491-1607) Topic 1.2 Native American Societies Before Contact Content Review

Cultures of Central & South America

Mayan, Incan, Aztec empires had highly developed civilizations, carried on extensive trade, & created calendars based on accurate scientific observations

Mayas

built great cities located in the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula

Aztecs

located in central Mexico, and had its own capital, Tenochtitlan

Incas

based in Peru & developed a vast empire in western South America

Cultures of North America

native societies were smaller & less sophisticated than those in Mexico and South America - due to slower spread of cultivation of corn northward from Mexico

most people in North America lived in semi permanent settlements in small groups; men made tools and hunted, women gathered plants & nuts or grew crops like corn, beans, and tobacco

importance of maize (corn)

the nutrition provided by corn allowed for larger and densely settled populations which in turn, led to more socially diversified and complex societies

language differences

20 language families, 400 distinct languages

Southwest Settlements

present day New Mexico and Arizona - Hohokam, Anasanzi, and Pueblos developed complex societies supported by the spread of maize cultivation leading to economic growth and the development of irrigation systems

many people lived in caves, under cliffs, and multistoried buildings

extreme drought + conflict with hostile natives weakened these groups by the time the Europeans arrived

Northwest Settlements

Pacific Coast (current Alaska to northern California) - people lived in permanent longhouses or plank houses

Rich diet based on hunting, fishing, and gathering nuts, berries, and roots

remembered stories, legends & myths carving totem poles

mountain ranges created barriers to development and isolated tribes

Great Basin and Great Plains

nomadic tribes survived on hunting buffalo (used for food, decorations, crafting tools, knives, and clothing)

lived in tepees b/c easily disassembled and transported

raised corn, beans, and squash + traded with other tribes

Midwest Settlements

Woodland American Indians prospered with a rich food supply supported by hunting, fishing, & agriculture

permanent settlements developed in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys

Adena-Hopewell culture famously known for the large earthen mounds

Cahokia (largest settlement in the Midwest) - near present-day St. Louis Illinois

Northeast settlements

hunting and farming techniques from Adena-Hopewell culture exhausted the soil so ppl had to move to fresh land

Iroquois Confederation - political union of five independent tribes who lived in Mohawk valley New York; 16th century through the American Revolution - the Iroquois were a powerful force

Atlantic Seaboard Settlements

Southern New Jersey to Florida

Descendants of the Woodland mound builders - built timber and bark lodgings along rivers

River and the Atlantic ocean provided a rich source of food

Describe the influence of the natural environment on the society and culture that various Native Americans had developed.

Briefly describe ONE specific difference between the cultures of the indigenous peoples of North America and those in Central and South America\

Briefly describe ONE specific similarity between the cultures of the indigenous peoples of North America and those in Central and South America in the period 1491-1607.

Briefly explain ONE specific contrast between language families among Native Americans and Europeans in the period 1491-1607