Download Chapter 1 Roots of the American People

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Chapter 1
Roots of the
American People
Prehistory – 1500
Section 1
The Earliest Americans
Section 2
Cultures of North America
Section 4
The European Heritage
Notebook
Number
_________
Mr. Graver
United States History
Name _____________________
Period ____________________
Get ready for your first exciting chapter in United States History!
In this chapter, we will start at the very beginning of American History.
We’ll find out how people actually came to North and South America,
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what they did to survive and prosper, how they developed culture and
what their technology was like. We’ll learn about the first great
American civilizations called the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas.
From there, we’ll move on to the Native Americans who lived in North
America. We’ll find out how different Native American (we mistakenly
call them “Indians”) groups developed because of the different climates
and geography where they lived.
Lastly, we’ll review the greatest civilizations of the Ancient World
(Greece and Rome) and find out how the Ancients gave the Europeans
ideas they’ll bring with them to the New World they “discover” in
North and South America!
Section 1: The Earliest Americans
In this section, we will try to figure out how the First Americans came to North and
South America. We will learn about the Land-Bridge Theory and the CoastalRoute Theory as possible ways “Americans” made it to their new world.
We will also learn how Americans discovered farming and how this discovery
allowed people to build the three largest civilizations in the Americas called the
Maya, Aztecs and Incas. Who knows… The people we learn about in this section
might be your great-great-great-great-great-great-great… Grandparents!
The First Americans
1. How do we think people from Asian may have traveled to the Americas (2
ways!)?
The Land Bridge Theory
2. What is a GLACIER?
3. What was created between Siberia
and Alaska when these glaciers were
formed?
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4. Why do we think humans crossed the Land Bridge? Where did they
eventually go?
Other Theories
5. How do we think humans may have come to the Americas by using the
Coastal-Route Theory?
Learning to Farm
6. How did the earliest Americans obtain their food?
7. What discovery transformed people’s lives? Why was it such a
big discovery?
8. What new discoveries helped people to farm even better?
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9. What happened to the population when people had a
more dependable food supply?
10. What is a SURPLUS? What were Native Americans able to do once they
produced a surplus of food?
Three Civilizations
11. What is a CIVILIZATION?
12. What were the 3 largest civilizations that developed in the Americas called?
Complete the following chart with information about the Maya, Aztec,
and Inca civilizations:
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Civilization
13. Mayas
What were 3 accomplishments each
civilization achieved?
Location
1.
2.
3.
1.
14. Aztecs
2.
3.
1.
15. Incas
2.
3.
16. What may have caused the Mayan civilization to disappear?
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17. What did the Aztecs do as an offering to their gods? Why did they do this?
18. Why were the Aztecs such harsh rulers?
19. What was the Inca capital city called?
20. What country did an explorer come from who traveled the great Inca highway?
Section 2: Cultures of North America
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In the last section, we learned about the first great civilizations that developed in
Central America and South America. In this section, we’ll learn about the peoples
who settled in North America. We’ll find out how each group of Native Americans
adapted to their climates and geography, how their cultures developed, and what
their greatest accomplishments were. Today, many people mistakenly call these
Native Americans “Indians.”
First Cultures of North America
1.What did groups of people begin to develop in North America?
2. Define CULTURE –
3. What do we call the people who lived on the land between the Appalachian
Mountains and the Mississippi River? Why do we call them this?
4. Why did these people build their
mounds?
5. Who were the Mississippians?
What did they accomplish?
6. What other culture lived where
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Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are today?
7. Where did the Anasazis build their
homes? Why did they build their homes
there?
8. What were the Anasazis very skilled at?
9. Where did the Hohokam live? What were some of their accomplishments?
Ways of Life
10. Define CULTURE AREAS –
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Meeting Basic Needs
11. In early Native American societies, how did women and men meet their basic
needs?
12. What did some Native American cultures discover? What were some
things they used to be more productive?
13. What happened to the population of Native American cultures that had
discovered farming?
14. What was a common activity in all North American cultures? What were some
forms of their currency?
Shared Beliefs
15. What did Native Americans have a very close relationship to?
16. How did Native Americans help to preserve their history?
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Native Americans of North America
17. Why did Native American groups each develop distinct ways of life all across
North America?
Complete the following chart with information about the Native
American cultural groups of North America:
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Native
American
Group
18.
Far North
19.
Northwest
20.
Far West
21.
Southwest
Color
on
Native
Ameri
can
Map
Description of
Climate and
Landscape
where they
lived
What did they
eat and how did
they obtain their
food?
Description
of housing
and villages
of cultural
group
Major Accomplishments
of cultural group
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22.
Great Plains
23.
Eastern
Woodlands
24.
Southeast
Section 4: The European Heritage
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In this section, you’ll review some of the things you learned in Old World Cultures
and find out how the great civilizations of Greece and Rome helped to influence the
Europeans. In the next chapters, you’ll see how the Europeans brought these
ancient ideas to the New World of the Americas and used them to create the United
States of America!
Greek and Roman Traditions
1. What two ancient civilizations will really influence the Founders of the United
States?
Athenian Democracy
2. What was the most remarkable achievement of the Greek city-state of Athens?
3. Define DIRECT DEMOCRACY –
4. How did Pericles describe Athenian Democracy?
5. Who could participate in Athenian Democracy? Who could NOT
participate?
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6. Why was education considered so important in Athens? What were children
taught in school?
Roman Government and Law
7. What did the Romans set up after overthrowing their king?
8. Define REPUBLIC –
9. Who made laws in Rome’s Republic?
10. How did Rome’s Code of Laws treat people? Who will borrow this code from
the Romans later on?
11. Who declared himself Emperor of Rome after the Republic collapsed?
12. What happened to the ideas of Roman law and government over time?