Chapter 1 Section 1

1. Chapter 1Section 1 The First Americans

2. The First Americans Early Peoples • No one knows for sure how they arrived in America thousands of years ago. • They may have crossed a land bridge, called Beringia, which connected Asia (Siberia) and North America (Alaska). • They may have come by boat from Asia or Europe.

3. The Journey from Asia How they arrived? • Earth has passed through several Ice Ages (most recent began 100,000 yrs. ago and ended 12,000 yrs. ago). • Beringia—A land bridge connecting Siberia to modern day Alaska. Scientists believe that this is how first Americans arrived. Why they came? • Early Americans were nomads, moving from place to place gathering wild grains and fruits but depended largely on hunting for much of their food (mammoths and mastodons). • While traveling in search of animals to hunt, these people crossed Beringia into what is now Alaska and Canada.

4. Hunting for Food Migration--The crossing of the land bridge was a migration, or movement, of a large number of people into a new homeland. • Did not happen in one single journey. • As centuries passed, many groups of people traveled from Asia either on foot across the land bridge or in boats. • These First Americans spread out across the Americas, going as far east as the Atlantic Ocean and as far south as the tip of South America.

5. End of the Ice Age • About 15,000 years ago, the earth’s temperature began to rise. • The Ice Age was drawing to an end. • As the great glaciers melted, the oceans rose, and Beringia submerged again. • The Americas were cut off from Asia. • Due to changes in the environment, mammoths and other large animals began to die out. Early Americans had to find other sources of food.

6. Settling Down • Early Americans hunted smaller game: deer, birds, and rodents. • Those who lived along rivers or the seacoast learned to catch fish with nets and traps. • They continued to gather wild berries and grains. • About 9,000 yrs. ago, people living in present-day Mexico learned to plant and raise an early form of corn called Maize. • A steady, reliable source of food. • Early Americans now no longer have to move from place to place. • Experimented with pumpkins, beans, and squashes. New Sources of food Planting Seeds

7. Growth of their Culture • Stationary communities began to form due to rising number of people and dependable food supply. • Using Carbon Dating, scientists have found traces of early villages that date from about 5,000 yrs. ago. • Early Americans began to build permanent shelters of clay, brick, stone, or wood. • Made pottery and cloth and decorated these goods with dyes made from roots and herbs. • Developed more complex forms of government. • Agriculture led to a new culture, or way of life.

8. Key Terms Define the following terms: • Ice Age • Nomad • Migration • Maize • Culture • Archaeology • Artifact • Carbon Dating

9. 5 Question Quiz • What was the name of the land bridge that early Americans used? a). Bering Strait b). Beringia c). Ice Age • Early Americans who moved from place to place were called? a). Nomads b). Tourists c). Carbon Dating • Why did these early people come? a). Overpopulation b). Looking for food c). Too cold • These early people were skilled at? a). Pottery b). Hunting c). Farming • These early people developed their own culture? a). True b). False