AMSCO 1.2:Native American Societies Before European Contact Notes

Topic 1.2

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UNIT 1 — Period 1: 1491-1607

📍Topic 1.2 Native American Societies Before European Contact

📖 AMSCO p.3 - p.7

Main Idea

Key Timeline

Image Courtesy of Dohee

Things to Know

Initial Settlement of Americas:

• migrants from Asia crossed into the Americas and they moved southward

Central + South American Civilizations:

• Mayas = rainforest areas of Yucatán Peninsula
• Aztecs = powerful empire in central Mexico
• Incas = empire in Western South America based in Peru

Cultures of North America:

• Southwest Settlements
  • Notable groups include Hohokam, Anasazi, and Pueblos. They evolved multifaceted societies, with the spread of maize cultivation playing a pivotal role.
• Northwest Settlements
  • Tribes in this region lived in longhouses or plank houses and had diets based on hunting, fishing, and gathering.
• Great Basin & Great Plains
  • Nomadic tribes adapted to dry climates and vast grasslands by hunting buffalo and living in tepees.
• Mississippi River Valley
  • The Adena-Hopewell culture built large earthen mounds and had significant settlements like Cahokia.
• Northeast Settlements
  • The Iroquois Confederation was a significant political entity, with tribes like Seneca, Cayuga, and Mohawk playing prominent roles.
• Atlantic Seaboard Settlements
  • Tribes such as the Cherokee and Lumbee built lodgings along rivers and relied on rivers and oceans for sustenance.

Terms to Remember

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