Early Americas: Inhabitants & Colonization

• In the 15th century, Europeans seeking trade routes to Asia encountered the Americas.
• The Americas were inhabited by diverse cultures for thousands of years.
• European colonization transformed the North American continent.
• Great Britain became the dominant colonial power by the mid-17th century.

Early Inhabitants

• The first Americans migrated from Asia across a land bridge 9,000 to 15,000 years ago.
• Settlers populated both North and South America, developing unique cultures.
• Agriculture emerged around 10,000 years ago, leading to population growth and settled communities.

Central and South America: Mesoamerica

• Mesoamerican civilizations shared characteristics such as polytheism, corn-based diets, mathematical systems, monumental constructions, and accurate calendars.
• Trade facilitated cultural diffusion.
• Key Mesoamerican cultures include the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations.

South America: Inca Empire

• The Inca Empire was located on the Pacific coast, spanning the Andes Mountains.
• At its height in the 15th and 16th centuries, it included high-altitude cities and an advanced road system.
• Inca society was rigidly stratified, with a sun god as the primary deity, and relied on farming corn, beans, squash, quinoa, and potatoes.

North America: Pueblo Peoples

• Pueblo peoples lived in the southwestern United States in permanent towns made of stone and mud.
• Main Pueblo groups: Mogollon, Hohokam, and Anasazi.
• The Mogollon developed distinctive artwork and irrigation systems.
• Hohokam and Anasazi were skilled artists and constructed centralized communities.
• The Pueblos built over 180 miles of roads connecting urban centers.
• Chaco Canyon served as an administrative, religious, and cultural center by 1050 CE.
• Pueblo cities were abandoned around 1150 CE, possibly due to drought.
• Descendants include the Hopi and Zuni tribes.
• The cliff-dwelling Anasazi used ropes or ladders for access.

Ohio River Valley: Hopewell Culture

• The Hopewell culture flourished from the 1st to 5th centuries CE.
• Their settlements were small hamlets.
• They practiced agriculture and supplemented it with hunting and fishing.
• Trade routes extended from Canada to Louisiana.
• They created necklaces, woven mats, and carvings from materials like shells, copper, and obsidian.
• Burial mounds and earthworks remain as evidence of their culture.
• Artifacts in burial mounds indicate social stratification.

Mississippi River: Cahokia

• Cahokia was a major cultural and population center near present-day St. Louis.
• In 1100 CE, it covered five square miles and housed thousands of residents.
• The city featured 120 earthen mounds or pyramids.
• Cahokia was a hub for political and trading activities along the Mississippi River.
• The civilization declined after 1300 CE.

Eastern Woodland Societies

• Woodland societies included the Iroquois and Algonquin.
• They lived in small, autonomous clans or tribal units, adapting to their environments.
• Warfare among tribes was common.
• Decisions were made by a chief or tribal elders, often advised by women.
• Gender roles were less fixed compared to Mesoamerica and South America.
• Women cultivated crops and gathered food, while men hunted, fished, and provided protection.
• Major Indian societies in the east were matriarchal, with women having influence.

Conflicts with Europeans

• Clashing beliefs about land ownership and use of the environment were a major point of conflict with Europeans.
• There was no private ownership of land.

Summary

• In the Americas, civilizations rose and fell before 1492.
• Pueblo societies and Cahokia had peaked, while Eastern Woodland peoples thrived.