US History 1 - Historical Concepts of Native Americans

1. How long did people live in North America before Columbus?

People lived in North America for about 10,000 years before Columbus.

2.  What was their likely path into North America, according to the video?

The Native Americans’ likely path into North America was by crossing the Bering Strait, a land bridge caused by the Ice Age between modern day Russia and Alaska.

3. What did the video use to explain what a complex society is?

The  video uses Maslow's hierarchy of needs.. Maslow believed that in order to move to the next need you have to master the previous one.

4. Where did tribes prosper in North America and why?

They prospered by creating farms because they did not have to hunt or travel far for food. They prospered among regions such as Mexico or the Coast, and stayed in these places instead of moving from place to place, so they could grow their own food. They had to grow their own food because the large animals they usually hunted had started disappearing.

5.  Were communities organized and sophisticated?

Communities were organized by the certain roles that each person played. A community’s organization was also based on the climate they were in. Communities were sophisticated enough to have representatives that they would send to make decisions for each group, like a leader or president.

6.  What’s an example from the video of how communities were sophisticated.

There were politics with villages sorted into nations and representative councils to make decisions (like the UN!)

7.  Were there any sophisticated political organizations before the Europeans arrived.

There was a representative council. The Iroquois Combined villages into nations. Men and Women both had power. Some groups would have a representative council and decide matters that included everyone.