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Map: The map shows the route that nomadic humans took as they moved into the America’s from Asia.

North America

Asia

Map: Shows Beringia, the Land Bridge, between Asia and North America.

UNIT 1: GLOBAL HERITAGE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

PRIOR TO 1500

Image: Iroquois Indians lived in present day New York State.

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PART 1: EARLY AMERICANS

1. THE FIRST AMERICANS

Map: The map shows the route that nomadic humans took as they moved into the America’s from Asia.

Images: These images show how early humans dressed. Animal skins and plants were used to make clothes.

A. The Last Ice Age:1. Between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, glaciers covered a large part of the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe, and Northern Asia). 2. Water level in oceans decreased due to increase in size of glaciers.3. Land was exposed in Bering Strait between Asia and North America. 4. Land bridge is known as Beringia. About 750 miles wide.

ICE AGE: Period of time when glaciers covered many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

GLACIERS: A huge sheet of ice. This map shows where glaciers existed on the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia.

This map shows the modern day Bering Sea and Strait. As you can see, Asia and North America are NOT connected. Humans, today, can not walk from Asia to North America.

This map shows the same area, but during the Ice Age. During the Ice Age, glaciers caused the ocean levels to drop. The light brown shaded area shows the land that was exposed when the ocean levels went down. This land is called the “Land Bridge” or “Beringia.”

B. Early American Migration:1. Herds of animals migrated over land bridge.2. Groups of human nomads followed herds across land bridge from Asia. 3. Over thousands of years, early Americans migrated to all parts of the America’s.

NOMAD: A person or group of people who move from place to place in search of food. Asia

North America

Bering Strait4. These early humans were Stone Age people. Stone was their most advanced form of technology for tools and weapons.

This map shows animals migrating out of Asia and into North America across the “Land Bridge” or Beringia. Following the animals are humans. Humans lived as nomads and had to move to find food.

This map shows the route that animals and humans took when they migrated out of Asia and into North America across the “Land Bridge” or Beringia.

This map shows where humans spread to when they entered the America’s. This took thousands of years to take place.

This image shows a group of humans. The weapons that they have are basic; stone and wood were used to make spears, knives, and hammers/axes.

5. Early humans lived during the period of time known as prehistory.

PREHISTORY: The period of time before humans learned to write.

-Early humans did not know how to write, therefore, they left no written records such as books, journals, or articles. -Since early humans did not know how to write, archeologists and historians have to rely on artifacts to learn about early humans.

Since early humans did not know how to write, they drew cave paintings to tell stories and record important events such as a hunt.

Early humans left behind things that they made. These include arrow heads and spear tips, clothing, and human bones that were buried. These human made things are called artifacts.

ARCHEOLOGIST: A scientists who searches for and studies artifacts in order to learn how early people lived.

ARTIFACT: An object made by humans, such as tools, weapons, and pottery, and left behind by them.

6. Knowledge and culture was passed on through oral history.

ORAL HISTORY: The passing on of a person or group’s history through the telling of stories and singing of songs.

CULTURE: The way of life for a group of people.

Archeologists search for artifacts in “dig sites.” The further down you go, the older the objects become.

C. First Americans:1. Depended on hunting and gathering for food and clothing.2. Could not farm. 3. Tools and weapons made from stone, bone, and wood. 4. Followed herds of animals across land bridge to North America.

Mammoths, deer, bison, and bear were common animals that were hunted by early humans. Fruits were a common plant gathered by early humans.

D. Farming:1. Around 7,000 BC, humans in Central America learned to plant seeds, grow food, and farm. 2. At first, they grew corn, beans, and squash. In addition, they also grew peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, tobacco, and cotton. 3. Over time, other humans in the America’s learned to farm.4. This allowed for civilizations to emerge. People could settle down in one area and not live as nomads. People needed to stay in one area in order to plant seeds, tend crops, and harvest crops. 5. The 1st American civilizations; Mayans, Aztecs, and Incans were created in Central and South America.

CIVILIZATION: Advanced culture with a religion, cities, government, written language, social classes.

BeansSquash

Corn (Maize)