AP Chapter 1Continent of Villages to 1500

Settling the Continent

• 2,000 separate Native American cultures lived in the W. Hemisphere• Hundreds of different languages and the

environment made these groups very different.• Inhabitants of the America’s migrated

during the last Ice Age across Beringia or land bridge.

• Clovis Tradition- new style of tool making (Fluted Blades) unlike anything found in the Old World• Farming led to greater population density

which led families to organize into Clans•Mesoamerica- region stretching from

central Mexico to Central America which was the location of large densely settled areas

Mississippian Society

•Master maize (corn) farmers who lived in the flood plains of the Mississippi Valley• Several large societies emerged and they

were linked by the river system• Great Serpent Mound- largest effigy

earthwork in the world.

Population of Indian America

• Native American population in North America by the 15th century has been estimated between 5-10 million people• Population varied greatly by cultural

region. • Largest populations were located in the

farming areas of the Southwest.

Early America Summary

• Indian peoples developed hundreds of distinctive cultures in the Americas• They adapted to their environment and

had to overcome many limitations• Hunting, fishing and farming were a

variety of methods natives used to survive.