apush chapter 1

What was the status of the world's dry land 225 million years ago, and what macro-geographical entity did it form?

225 million years ago, Pangaea contained all the world's dry land

What geological process physically created the distinct continents and oceans we see today?

separation of land created continents and oceans

What specific biological evidence proves that the continents were once joined together as Pangaea?

proved existence of Pangaea because nearly identical species of fish now live in lakes that are separated by oceans

When did the Appalachian mountain range form relative to the separation of the global continents?

the Appalachians formed 480 million years ago, before continents separated

Which major mountain ranges arose in western North America around 70 million years ago?

mountain ranges in western North America (the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, and the Coast Ranges) arose more recently, around 70 million years ago

What was the Canadian Shield, and why is it geologically significant to North America?

Canadian Shield was a massive, ancient rock that was probably the first part of North America to rise above sea level

What did the topography of the East Coast of North America look like ten million years ago?

on the East Coast, a narrow, flat coastal plain with many rivers sloped upwards to form the Appalachians

How was the middle section of the North American continent structured between the eastern and western mountain ranges ten million years ago?

in the middle, the Appalachians slanted into a huge midcontinental basin (the Mississippi Valley) before sloping upwards again to form the Rockies

What are the rocky boundaries that define the location of the Great Basin in the American West?

the Great Basin is a rocky, jagged area between the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges in the west and the Rockies in the east

How was the West Coast's terrain shaped where it met the Pacific Ocean?

on the West Coast, an area cut up by river valleys met the Pacific Ocean where the Coast Range mountains rose from the sea

When did the last Ice Age begin, and what was the physical scale of the ice sheets that covered the northern hemispheres?

about 2.6 million years ago, ice sheets about two miles thick covered parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas

What was the geographical boundary line of the glaciers inside North America during the peak of the Ice Age?

in North America, these glaciers covered most of present-day Canada, stretching downward all the way into a line from Pennsylvania, through the Midwest, and to the Pacific Northwest

How did the weight and movement of retreating glaciers physically alter the topsoil of the Canadian Shield?

the heavy ice pushed down onto the Canadian Shield and scraped away its topsoil, leaving thousands of holes that eventually filled with water to become lakes

Which massive North American freshwater system was directly carved out by the action of melting glaciers?

glaciers carved out the Great Lakes

Which three major rivers were left behind by the glaciers to drain the center of the North American continent?

left the Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers to drain the center of the continent between the Appalachians and Rockies

What massive ancient lake was created by melting ice in the West, and where did it originally drain?

in the West, melting ice created a massive lake covering Utah, Nevada, and Idaho that originally drained into the Pacific Ocean: Lake Bonneville

Why did ancient Lake Bonneville eventually lose its primary source of water inflow?

as rainfall dried up, Lake Bonneville lost its water source

What happened to Lake Bonneville as it dried up, and what famous landmark remains of it today?

it became very salty and shrank into a desert, leaving only the Great Salt Lake in Utah as a reminder

What do recent discoveries suggest about how early humans may have migrated to the Americas via water route?

new discoveries suggest some people might have arrived along the coast in basic boats up to 30,000 years ago

How did the freezing of ocean water 35,000 years ago lead to the creation of the Bering Land Bridge?

around 35,000 years ago, huge glaciers froze so much ocean water that the sea level dropped, exposing a strip of land (the Bering Land Bridge) connecting Siberia and Alaska across the present-day Bering Sea

Why did small groups of Asian hunters cross the Bering Land Bridge into North America?

small groups of Asian hunters crossed this land bridge into North America, likely following herds of wild animals for food

When did the first massive waves of land travelers arrive via the land bridge, and what direction did they walk?

first big waves of these land travelers arrived about 15,000 to 16,000 years ago and slowly walked southward to fill the continents

How did the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago isolate early American populations from the rest of the world?

when the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago, the melting glaciers caused the ocean to rise and cover the Bering Land Bridge again, isolating these early peoples from the rest of the world

What environmental change opened up paths for the first Americans to walk south and east into the continent?

as the climate warmed and glaciers melted, ice-free paths opened up, allowing the first Americans to walk south and east

What was the geographic span of migration for early nomadic groups traveling from Siberia?

these groups traveled slowly through the wilderness, eventually walking 15,000 miles from Siberia all the way to the bottom tip of South America

What was the estimated total population size across North and South America right before European contact in 1492?

by the time Europeans arrived in 1492, around 54 million people were living across North and South America

What was the extent of cultural and linguistic diversification among Native Americans over thousands of years of separation?

over thousands of years, these people split into many different groups, created over 2,000 separate languages, and developed their own unique religions and cultures

Which three highly advanced and complex empires built massive civilizations in Peru, Central America, and Mexico?

the Incas in Peru, Mayans in Central America, and Aztecs in Mexico built highly advanced and complex societies

What agricultural crop and farming system sustained the massive population of 20 million people in Mexico?

they used smart farming methods, mostly growing corn (maize), which fed huge populations, including up to 20 million people in Mexico alone

What major technological and animal assets did Mesoamerican empires lack, despite building massive cities and trade networks?

even without using wheels or large work animals like horses and oxen, they built massive cities and traded over long distances

Who did the Aztecs regularly target for human sacrifice, and what was the scale of these religious ceremonies?

the Aztecs regularly sacrificed humans (often captured enemy soldiers) by cutting out their hearts to please the gods, sometimes killing over 5,000 people for a single ruler's crowning

How did the diverse geographic environments of North America directly shape the lifestyle of different Native American groups?

Native American groups lived very differently depending on their environment, ranging from city dwellers in Mexico to wandering hunters in cold parts of Canada

What are some examples of distinct tribal cultures that arose from differing North American regional environments?

different areas created different cultures, like ocean-going fishers and traders in the Pacific Northwest and settled farming villagers in the American Southeast

What was the range of social and political sizes among Pre-Columbian Native American tribes?

societies ranged in size from massive, powerful empires with millions of people to tiny, wandering groups made up of just a single extended family

What internal societal structures existed among Native Americans long before European arrival?

long before Europeans arrived, every single Native American culture already had its own unique history, traditions, trade systems, and local rivalries