Ch. 14: The Americas P. 383
Lesson 1: The First Americans P. 386
Geography of the Americas North America South America Central America Caribbean
Geography of the Americas Mountains Rockies Appalachians Andes Plains Great Plains Amazon Basin Pampas Rivers Mississippi Amazon
Settling the Americas 2 theories: Land bridge theory Coastal route Farming: begins in Mesoamerica & Andes region 9,000 to 10,000 years ago Peppers, pumpkins, squash, gourds, beans, potatoes, later maize
Olmec Culture Olmec civilization: began about 1200 B.C., lasts about 800 years Based on farming & trade Grew beans, gathered salt Lived on tropical lowlands along the Gulf of Mexico Created centers for religious ceremonies (pyramids, etc.)
First Planned City Central Mexico: people build Teotihuacan “Place of the Gods” 1 of the first planned cities in the Americas Lasted from about A.D. 250-800 Temples, palaces, Pyramid of the Sun
Other Mesoamericans Zapotec people: built farms & cities in south central Mexico Capital: Monte Alban Developed hieroglyphs Maya: lived in Yucatan Peninsula, southern Mexico, Central America
Early Civilizations in South America ~900 B.C.: Chavin people develop a civilization in present-day Peru & Ecuador Did not build an empire
Early Cultures in North America Hohokam Lived in present-day Arizona Anasazi Settled in the canyons & cliffs of the Southwest Built pueblos (large stone dwellings) Ex: Pueblo Bonito (connected by roads to other villages) Carved dwellings in the walls of steep cliffs Ex: Mesa Verde
The Mound Builders Lived east of the Mississippi River ~1000 B.C. – A.D. 400 Built huge mounds of earth that were used as tombs or for ceremonies Hopewell: 200 B.C. – A.D. 500 Built animal-shaped mounds
Who were the Mississippians? Lived in present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and south to the Gulf of Mexico Built cities Largest: Cahokia Built pyramid-shaped mounds w/ flat tops Ex: Monk’s Mound (at Cahokia)
An Orderly Society Mississippian Society: Several social classes People could change social classes Cahokia: capital from A.D. 850-1150
Lesson 2: life in the americas P. 396
Maya Communities ~A.D. 300: Complex civilization develops Area: Petén Swamps & sinkholes: year-round water Set up more than 50 independent city-states (often fought each other)
What was Maya society like? Each city-state ruled by a king “descended from the sun god” Greatest king: Pacal II Ruled Palenque in the A.D. 600s Strict class system Lower class paid taxes Priests performed ceremonies to please gods (sometimes human sacrifices) Chac: god of rain
Maya Achievements Astronomy: Math: Used hieroglyphics Developed calendar system to predict eclipses, schedule religious festivals, plant & harvest crops 2 calendars 260-day calendar for religious events 365-day calendar for seasons & farming Math: Invented method of counting based on 20 Used concept of zero Used hieroglyphics
North American Peoples Inuit “the people”: 1st ppl to reach far northern areas of North America Settled along coasts of the tundra
West Coast Life Pacific Coast of North America: most heavily populated region north of Mesoamerica Pacific Northwest: Tlingit, Haida, Chinook California: Chumash, Cahuilla, Pomo Southwest: Hopi, Acoma, Zuni Later (A.D. 1500s): Apache, Navajo Navajo: lived in hogans
Life on the Great Plains Nomads, lived in tepees Mandan, Pawnee tribes
How did people live in the Eastern Woodlands? Different kinds of gov. Muskogee Creek: loose union of different groups Cherokee: developed formal codes of law 1500s: Great Peace Iroquois League (federation) set up Onondaga, Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga Created constitution (1st constitution written in what would become the U.S.) Set up Grand Council to govern the league
Quiz Topics: 2 theories of how the Americas were settled Where the Maya civilization started Capital of the Zapotec Where farming began in the Americas Where the Chavin lived Who built Mesa Verde Who the Hopewell were How Maya city-states treated each other Maya god of rain Maya achievements Where most people north of Mesoamerica lived How people lived on the Great Plains Where the Inuit lived What made the Iroquois League special How geography affected the groups in this chapter