preview

American Pageant Chapter 1 Outline

Decent Essays

1) Peopling the Americas a) During the Ice Age, the water froze into massive glaciers and exposed a land bridge that connected Eurasia and North America. i) This land bridge allowed the “immigrant” ancestors of the Native Americans to cross the bridge for 250 centuries. b) As the Ice Age ended, the water melted, which made the sea level rise, and the bridge to collapse. This stopped the “immigration” c) These immigrants spilt into many tribes and developed many diverse religions, cultures, and ways of life. i) Incas in Peru, Mayans in Central America, and Aztecs in Mexico shaped civilizations 2) The Earliest Americans a) Agriculture, especially corn growing, was important for the size and sophistication of the Native Americans. i) Maize, beans, and squash made possible the “three-sister” farming which produced some of the highest population densities. (1) …show more content…

c) Most native people lived in impermanent settlements, and in more settled groups, women tended the crops while the men hunted, fished, gathered fuel, and cleared fields. 3) Indirect Discoverers of the New World a) Norse seafarers from Scandinavia landed at L’Anse aux Meadows (present Newfoundland) i) A lot of grapes which led them to name the place Vinland, but their flimsy settlements were soon abandoned and their discovery was forgotten b) Europe craved the Asian goods such as silk, drugs for aching flesh, perfumes, colorful draperies, and spices (sugar). i) The Europeans wanted alternate routes to trade that were less expensive 4) Europeans Enter Africa a) Traveling to the coast of West Africa was difficult because of the winds and currents i) 1450, Portuguese mariners overcame those obstacles by developing the caravel, and discovering a new route. b) Sub-Saharan Africa is now within the grasp of

Get Access