(2385) Native American Societies BEFORE 1492 [APUSH Unit 1 Topic 2] 1.2

Introduction to Native America

• The starting point for studying U.S. history: Native Americans before European arrival.

• Key emphasis: Diversity among Native American cultures.

Understanding Cultural Diversity

• Common misconceptions: The stereotype of Native Americans as solely equestrian, nomadic buffalo hunters.

• Actual diversity:

  • Fishing villages

  • Nomadic hunters and gatherers

  • Settled agriculturalists

  • Complex urban civilizations

Major Civilizations in Central and South America

Aztec Civilization

• Also known as Mexica.

• Capital city: Tenochtitlan, with approximately 300,000 residents.

• Accomplishments:

  • Developed a written language.

  • Established complex irrigation systems.

  • Practiced human sacrifice to ensure agricultural fertility.

Maya Civilization

• Located on the Yucatan Peninsula.

• Known for:

  • Large cities

  • Advanced irrigation and water storage

  • Construction of grand temples and palaces for leaders considered divine.

Inca Civilization

• Inhabited the Andes Mountains in present-day Peru.

• Key statistics:

  • Height of empire: ruled about 16 million people across 350,000 square miles.

• Agricultural practices:

  • Cultivation of potatoes and other crops using elaborate irrigation systems.

Importance of Maize Cultivation

• Early civilizations across the Americas cultivated maize:

  • Nutritious and drought-tolerant.

  • Spread northwards leading to:

    • Economic development

    • Settled communities

    • Advanced irrigation systems

    • Social diversification.

Diverse Native Peoples of North America

Southwest

Pueblo Peoples

• Sedentary lifestyle; farmers of maize.

• Housing:

  • Adobe and masonry constructions, sometimes built into cliffs.

  • Societal organization included administrative and religious centers.

Great Plains & Great Basin

Nomadic Peoples

• Example: Ute people.

• Lifestyle focused on hunting and gathering due to arid conditions.

• Social structure: small egalitarian kinship groups.

Pacific Northwest

Chinook Peoples

• Settled in fishing villages and relied on elm and forest resources.

• Housing: large plank houses accommodating extended family units.

Chumash Peoples

• Coastal hunters and gatherers with permanent settlements based on resource availability.

Mississippi River Valley

Hopewell Peoples

• Population centers of 4,000 to 6,000; extensive trading networks.

Cahokia Peoples

• Largest settlement, population between 10,000 to 30,000.

• Organized governance led by chieftains; engaged in extensive trade.

Northeast

Iroquois Confederacy

• Villages housing several hundred; crops included maize, squash, beans.

• Longhouses housing 30-50 family members.

Conclusion

• Overview of diverse Native American cultures before European contact.

• Encouragement to subscribe for continued learning in AP U.S. History.