1. Period 1

2. First Americans

3. Arrival and Dispersal
The earliest North American residents crossed a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska between 15,000-30,000
Following large game animals, these Asian immigrants gradually spread through North and South American, reaching the tip of South America by 9,000 BC

4. Culture Diversity
The Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs were the most advanced of the 2,000 separate cultures that developed in the New World.
The Anasazi, in what is now Arizona and New Mexico, built cliff-dwellings, roads and canals.
Mississippi Valley tribes developed a farming culture around 800 BC. They built large earthen pyramids and established trading networks throughout much of North America
Eastern Woodland occupied the land east of the Mississippi river in small, self-governing clans.
Plains Indians developed a nomadic lifestyle, following buffalo herds across the American Plains.

5. Contact with Europeans – The Columbian Exchange
The arrival of the Europeans greatly affected Indian cultures
Massive epidemics in the Caribbean and Mexico occurred as native populations contracted Europeans diseases
Tribes along the Atlantic Coast and the Ohio river valley were pressured to adapt to white settlers and traders, and became dependent on fur trading.
Europeans attempted to civilize Indians and have them accept Christianity
Plains Indians used guns and horses to expand their range and attack tribes

6. Similarities and Differences between Indians and European Settlers
Both lived in village communities
Both shared a strong sense of spirituality
Both divided labor by gender
Differences
Indians didn’t share the European concept of private property
Indian children were often part of their mother’s clan because many cultures were matrilineal.