Bering Land Bridge
36,000 - 32,000 years ago & 25,000 - 14,000 years ago
- dry land that existed between the northern tip of Asia in Siberia and North America
- allowed animals and humans to migrate to the Americas
Mound Builders
900 - 1350 AD
*Cahokia people of the Mississippi Valley
Pueblo
- New Mexico and Arizona
- Built a maze of canals, dams and terracing that allowed agriculture to flourish in dry climates
- Diet included corn, beans and squash
- Domesticated turkeys and used dogs to hunt
- Wore ritual masks and danced in ceremonies
Incas
- Larger than the Aztecs
- ruled 32 million people
- Empire had:
- a vast bureaucracy
- an army
- 25,000 miles of roads and bridges
Mayans
- Dominated:
- the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico
- Honduras
- Belize
- Guatemala
- Developed:
- a fully functional written language
- sophisticated system of mathematics
- an accurate calendar
Aztecs
- Highly stratified
- ruled a population of 10 to 20 million people
- Maintained an extensive trade network
- Attacked a large number of neighboring tribes to expand.
Iroquois Confederacy
- 5 tribes joined together as an alliance against other tribes
- Several families lived in single sturdy longhouses
- Hunting, fishing, & farming provided major food sources
- Lived in permanent towns
- Social life centered in the ceremonies of the seasons
Tenochtitlán
- Aztec capital city
* Population 20,000
Black Death
1300s
- Black Death swept through Europe
- The population of Europe fell from 70 million to 45 million
Christopher Columbus
-
Prince Henry of Portugal
-
Reconquista
-
Ferdinand and Isabella
-
What were European countries’ motives for exploration and discovery?
-
How were native societies in North, Central, and South America similar? How were they different?
-
What commodities were exchanged between America and Europe after contact? What impact did this have on native societies? What impact did it have in Europe?
-
Compare and contrast Spain, England, and France on the eve of the Age of Exploration. Why did Spain take the lead in westward expansion?
-
Read the “American Voices” section on page 6 and answer questions 1 and 2.
