The World Before the Opening of the Atlantic Before the arrival of Europeans Native American people flourished These early people came across the Bering Land bridge from Asia during the Ice Age

These early hunter- gathers developed into a few major civilizations The Aztecs of central Mexico They were conquered by Cortez of Spain The Inca of western South America They were conquered by Pizzaro of Spain

Culture areas in North America The Far North The Native Americans lived and thrived in artic conditions The survived by fishing and hunting large mammals Their housing consisted of wooden, stone, or earthen houses partly underground groups also used blocks of ice to build igloos

The Pacific Coast From southern Alaska to northern California over 2000 miles of coastline There were thick evergreen forests and many types of animals and plants to eat Houses were made of wooden planks and also made totems-ancestor or animal spirits Most groups in California lived in family groups or villages of people

The west and southwest These people lived in an area with less rainfall than the far west, as a result they had fewer resources available This is where the present states of Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona Much of this area consisted of desert and the main food source was small animals and insects Shelter was mostly earthen structures because of lack of trees

The Great Plains This region stretches from Canada to Texas and west from Iowa to the Rocky Mountains Mostly grassland with millions of buffalo and deer farming was also important They constructed their houses with wood frames and grass for roofs and siding

The East The east was rich in resources:forests, coastal plains, saltwater marshes, and the Mississippi River They relied primarily on agriculture but also hunted, gathered plants, fished, and traded They lived in permanent villages and built houses wood called wigwams

Europe during the middle ages The first of the European explorers were the Vikings and they set up one of the first colonies outside of Europe on Greenland

Life in the Middle Ages Feudalism was the order of life in Europe It was a system of government in which people pledged loyalty to a lord in exchange for protection Life on the manor was strict with each class having it’s own set of rules and duties with the lowest of all the peasants

Rise of Nations During the late middle ages nobles lost power to kings In 1066 William of Normandy conquered England the nobles rebelled in 1215 and the king signed the Magna Carta In the 1200’s towns and cities began to grow as did trade

Trade across the Continents Trade was flourishing on the Arabian Peninsula and into Asia and many of these ideas began to reach Europe The Crusades opened up the world as Christians and Muslims fought for control of the Jerusalem The Silk Road was the first major trade route until 1447 when the Portuguese began to sail around Africa to reach the East