America Before Columbus (APUSH)

America Before Columbus (APUSH)

1. The Peoples of the Precontact Americas

   • Belief of Migrations to Americas through an ancient land bridge 11,000 years ago over the Bearing Strait which is now Alaska
     • Migrants believed to be a result of stone tools/weapons which allowed for following of large animals over the land bridge
       • Migrants thought to come from Mongolian heritage, nick-named the "Clovis"
   • Some Migrants came from boat into South America
   • The "Archaic" period
     • Period of around 5,000 years, beginning 8,000 B.C.
       • Hunters began to finally extinct species which they hunted in the Archaic period, forcing to find new prey (Ex: Buffalo)
         • Bows unkown until ~400-500 A.D.
       • High population growth later
         • Also new tools like fishing hooks, nets, traps for smaller animals, and baskets for berries and other needs
           • Finally, some groups began to farm, mostly corn
             • Growth of sedentary settlements

2. The Growth of Civilizations: The South

   • Most early civilizations arose in what is now known as Mexico and South America
     • Inca's (largest empire in Americas)
       • Began, small tribe in mountains of Cuzco 15th cent. Pachacuti (meaning "World Shaker")
         • Empire stretched 2,000 miles, created by military force and persuasion equally
       • Grew fast by use of diplomats/agents who spread the word of the benefits of joining the empire
         • Most tribes allied with the Incas, kept diplomatic relationships/administration through paved road systems
     • Mesoamericans (Mexico and Central America)
       • First truly complex society, the Olmecs, around 1000 A.D.
       • Another Complex society, around the Yucatan peninsula, the Mayans, ~800 A.D.
         • Made up of many tribes, has written language, numerical system similar to Arabic, accutare calendar, advanced agricultural system, important trade routes around the area
           • Surpassed by tribes known as the Aztecs (called themselves Mexica)
             • ~1,300 AD established a city, named Tenochitilan
               • Greatest city ever created in Americas, population of ~100,000 by 1,500 AD
               • Had connection to water supplies around area through aqueducts
               • Large/impressive public buildings, schools (all male children attended) organized military, medical system, slave workforce from conqured tribes.
             • Dominated through system of tribute (heavy tax of crops/goods/animals)
               • Enforced by the strong military
             • People ruled by the Aztecs were independent and considered the Mexica to be tyrannical, but too strong to resist.
             • Drew belief system to Gods through human sacrifice. Only satisfied gods by being fed living hearts of humans.
               • Sacrifices were mostly prisoners
       • Suffered heavy fate through European invasions with disease and disunity.

3. CIvilizations of The North

   • North had large combinations of Hunting, fishing, and gathering tribes
     • Eskimos developed dog-sleds for travel, fished, hunted seals
     • Northern forest, big game hunters, nomadic lives, moose and caribou
     • Pacific NW, salmon fishing, permanent settlements along coast, often violent competition fo natural resources.
   • Far West tribes spread in Arid regions, Many wealthy and densely populated
     • Most based on fishing, hunting small game, and gathering
   • SouthWest tribes, most elaborate.
     • Large irrigation systems for large, dry land farming
     • Creation of huge towns, hubs for trade, crafts, and religious and civic ritual
       • Dense cities of Chaco Canyon made of stone and adobe terraced buildings, resembling large appartments
   • Great Planes Tribes
     • Lives of sedentary farming (corn and other grains)
     • Lived in substantial permanent settlments
     • Some smaller nomadic tribes sustained by hunting Buffalo
       • Only until 18th cent, Euros introduced the horse to NA, BUffalo hunting couldn't support a large population
   • Woodland Indians
     • Greatest food sources of any other area.
       • Sustained the most tribes, who also farmed, hunted, gathered, and fished
     • Established large trading networks based on corn and other grains grown in the Mississippi River Valley,
     • Cities that arose to trade were Chaokia, peaked at 1,200 AD, pop of ~10,000, contained complex earthen mounds
   • Agricultural NorthEast
     • More nomadic due to lack of fertile grounds (because farming was newer and less established
       • Most tribes combined farming with hunting
       • Farming was developed to quickly use up land and not to make a permanent settlement
         • Land often cleared by using forest fires or cutting into trees to kill them
         • Crops such as corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, planted among dead/blackened trunks
         • After a few years after the land was used or filth piled up, the settlement moved elsewhere
           • Some tribes dispearsed every Winter, families would forage by themselves until warmer weather returned