The Migration and Development of Early American Societies

1. Unit 1 Beginnings of America To Our Colonial Heritage

2. Chapter 1 The World before 1600

3. Section 1 The Early Americans

4. The Early Americas • The Main Idea • People arrived on the American continents thousands of years ago and developed flourishing societies. • Reading Focus • According to scientists and historians, how and when did the first migration to the Americas occur? • What kind of cultures developed in Central and South America? • What characterized the earliest cultures of North America?

5. Asia North America

7. Migration to the Americas • Paleo-Indians crossed the Bering Land Bridge - Beringa • Last ice age • 38,000 &10,000 B.C. • Movement calledmigration • Canada • US • Mexico • South America

8. Early people • Nomads • hunter-gatherers • Agricultural Revolution BC 5000 • Began to plant and harvest • Settled villages • 3 crops corn, beans, squashes • Began raising animals

9. Migration to the Americas The Agricultural Revolution • Farming • Native Americans began farming. • Farming led them to live in villages instead of moving from place to place. • This dramatic change was called the Agricultural Revolution. • This change began at least 7,000 years ago in parts of the Americas. • Basic Crops • By about 2,000 years ago, ancient American farming was based on • Corn (maize) • Beans • Squash • Meat • Men hunted seasonally for meat, but began raising animals. • More Changes • The food supply was dependable. • Populations grew. • People began crafting (pottery & weaving). • They developed ways to govern villages and to distribute wealth.

10. Climate Affects Early Peoples • Warming climate changed environments • Developed unique • Culture • Values • Traditions

11. Early Mesoamerica Societies • Olmec • First major Mesoamerican society • Developed 1200 B.C. • Stone architecture • Built 1st American pyramids • Civilization ended C. 400 B.C.

12. Olmec Called Mother Culture of Mesoamerica • Influenced later people • Religion • Art • Agriculture • Social organizations • Developed writing system • Sculpted basalt heads made of volcanic rock • weighed 40 tons

13. The Olmec The Olmec were the first major Mesoamerican society. They lived along the Gulf of Mexico around 1200 BC. The Olmec culture is known as the mother culture of Mesoamerica because their religion, art, agriculture, and social organization influenced later peoples. Farmers The Olmec used a “slash-and-burn” farming technique. Cultures of Central America and South America • Slash-and-Burn • Trees were cut down and burned on a plot of land. • Ashes made the land fertile for a few years. • The farmers then moved to a new plot, allowing the old plots to become fertile again. • Over time, the farmers cleared large areas of land. • Engineers and Artists • First Mesoamericans to develop a writing system • Created sculptures made of basalt that weigh as much as 40 tons and stand 10 feet high

14. Olmec Head

16. Maya • 400 BC began to rise • Reached its height around AD 250 • Large cities • Great pyramids • Temples • Palaces • Bridges • Concept of Zero • Civilization ended A.D. 900

17. Cultures of Central America and South America • The Maya • Mayan society began to rise around 400 BC. • Their cities were religious centers with stone pyramids, palaces, temples, sacred ball courts. • Religious centers grew into city-states populated by thousands of people. • Mayan Accomplishments • Priests studied stars and created calendars. • The Mayan developed a writing system and a number system. • The Toltec • The Toltec dominated central Mexico as the Maya began to decline. • They were skilled warriors, artisans, and builders. • Toltec influence is seen in the architecture of late Mayan cities such as Chichén Itzá. • Mayan Decline • The civilization declined by about 1500, but the culture lives today. Mayan-speaking people still live in Mexico and Guatemala.

20. Continued • Some famous cities • Tikal • Copan • Each had a temple & Pyramid

21. Chechen Itza

22. Continued • Created a 365 day calendar • Knew concept of zero • Invented hieroglyphics • Civilization died out c. 800AD • Not sure why • Some 4 million Mayan–speaking people live in southern Mexico and Guatemala today

23. Aztec • Conquered Central Mexico • Tenochtitlán Capital city • (present day Mexico City) • A.D. 1325 • Greatest American city • World’s largest cities • Early 1500’s most powerful empire in Mesoamerica

24. Human sacrifice was perpetrated on prisoners, slaves, and particularly children, with orphans and illegitimate children specially purchased for the occasion. Before the Toltec era, however, animal sacrifice may have been far more common than human - turkeys, dogs, squirrels, quail and iguana being among the species considered suitable offerings to Maya gods.

25. Aztecs • Began c. 1300AD • Built city in Lake Texcoco • Captial city Tenochtitlan • Connected city to main land • Floating gardens w/ reed mats called Chinampas • Produced 7 crops per year • Huge markets

26. Tenochtitlan

29. Aztec 7 min.movie

30. Continued • Developed calendar • Worshiped the sun • Sun required human sacrifices • 10 of 1000’s of people per year • Used POW's • Emperor treated like a god • Empire fell in 1520 w/European invasion

32. Inca • Andes Mountains in South America • Capital city - Cuzco • 1500’s empire along western South American coast • Strong central government • Architecture • Art • Population about 12 million

34. Andes Mountains

36. The Incas • An empire in South America • 3000 Miles along the west coast • Capital in the Andes Mts.. • Great farmers • Used terraces • 100 varieties of potatoes

37. The Aztec Came to power in 1400s These were the warlike Mexica, better known as the Aztec. Aztec capital was Tenochtitlán. Built on an island in a shallow lake Featured canals, plazas, and marketplaces Food supplied by floating gardens called chinampas, in the lake. A conquering people, their slaves and captives were used for human sacrifice to their many gods. The Inca While the Aztec conquered Mesoamerica, the Inca rose to power in the Andes Mountains of South America. Inca conquered along the coast. Their vast empire was connected by roads and bridges. Inca empire was largest in America with perhaps 12 million people. Cultures of Central America and South America

38. Machu Picchu

40. 12 Stones

41. Palace of the Inca

44. continued • Emperor controlled the empire • Kept surplus (crops) in storage • 200 ton stone use in temple building • 19,000miles of roads • Runners carried messages • Performed brain surgery • Worshiped the sun

45. continued • Lined the temple with gold • Gold called “sweat of the gods”

46. Earliest Cultures of North America • Encountered many different environments • Agriculture began 5,000 BC. • The Hohokam developed in Arizona • Anasazi Southwest farm culture • Maize • Beans • squash • Developed irrigation methods • Lived in pueblos, above ground houses made of heavy clay called adobe • Built kivas, underground ceremonial chambers, for religious ceremonies • Abandon villages c. AD 1300

47. Area of the Hohokam & Anasazi4 corners region

48. Ancient Cliff Dwellings Arizona