Download Unit 5 North America

Unit 5
North America
North America – Cultural Beginnings
-North America is primarily comprised of the United States,
Canada, and Mexico. While the Caribbean and Central
America are technically considered part of North America,
we will examine those regions separately.
-North America was first inhabited by Ice Age peoples who
migrated there 10,000-50,000 years ago. It is generally
believed these Asiatic people, who were hunter-gatherers,
came to America over the Bering Strait Land Bridge from
Asia. During the Ice Age, ocean levels were much lower
than they are today, and the land between Asia and North
America (Russia and Alaska more specifically) was exposed.
These people were most likely following herds of wild game
as those herds migrated in search of food themselves.
-Once the Ice Age ended and ocean levels rose, these
people became isolated from the rest of the world and
eventually developed cultures unique to the physical
geography they inhabited. Over time, some people began
to develop agriculture, which led to the development of
North American civilizations such as the Aztecs of Mexico
and the Incans of South America.
-For thousands of years, these people lived in isolation from
the rest of the world, until visited by people of other
continents. Prior to 1960, it was generally believed that
Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover
America. However, archeological evidence tells us the first
Europeans to reach North America, specifically the coast of
modern Canada, were the Vikings, a general term used to
describe the people of medieval Scandinavia, around the
year 1000 AD.
North America – Colonial History
-Although the Vikings were the first Europeans to reach North America, the first permanent European colonies were
established by the Spanish. The Spanish introduced their language as well as their religion, Roman Catholicism, to what
they referred to as the New World. Today, Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the Americas, and Roman
Catholicism is the largest religious group in the Americas, both indicators of Spanish influence in this part of the world.
-However, when Columbus (re)discovered America, he was actually looking for Asia. Believing he had reached a region of
Asia known as the East Indies, he mistakenly named the natives he encountered in the Americas “Indians”. The name
stuck.
-Soon other European countries would colonize the Americas. In addition to Spain, the European countries of England
(later called Great Britain), France, the Netherlands, and even Russia would all establish colonies in the Americas. A
colony’s primary purpose is to provide natural resources for the home country. However, in North America, British
colonization took on a different “look”. Rather than just exploiting the American continent for their own needs, the
British, and later other Europeans, began to migrate to the Americas in search of a better life. Some came for religious
freedom; some came for the opportunity to own land; some came to escape political persecution. Over time, millions of
Europeans migrated to and settled the Americas; in many cases they displaced the native population through warfare,
disease, and slavery.
-The first colonies to break away from their European homeland were the 13 colonies of Great Britain in North America,
which declared independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution. The United States became
independent in 1776. Soon, other countries would follow suit, and by the mid-1800s, Canada and Mexico were
independent countries as well.
Viking Settlement
Christopher
Columbus
Spanish Mission
George
Washington
North America – Landforms
Mountain Ranges:
• Appalachians: run in a north-south direction from the
northeastern to southeastern United States
• Rocky Mountains: run in a north-south direction from Alaska to
Mexico
• Sierra Nevadas: Located primarily in California, located between
the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific coast
• Sierra Madres: Three connected ranges in Mexico (Occidental,
Oriental, del Sur)
• Cascades: Located in US states of Oregon and Washington;
home to the famous volcano Mount Saint Helens
• Coastal Ranges: Located along the Pacific coast of Canada
• Alaska Range: Located along the southern Pacific coast of
Alaska; home to Mount McKinley, aka Denali, tallest mountain
in North America
• Brooks Range: Located in northern Alaska near the Arctic Ocean
Major Landforms:
• Gulf Coastal Plain: Low lying area along the Gulf Coast and
Atlantic Oceans in the southeastern United States
• Great Plains: Large, flat, low elevation area in the middle part of
the continent, extends from Texas all the way to Canada, major
agricultural area of North America
• Canadian Shield: Large area of exposed, ancient, volcanic
bedrock that forms a plateau and covers a large portion of
Canada; major source of mined resources in North America
• Deserts of the Southwest: There are several deserts that make
up the southwestern parts of the United States and norther
Mexico; they are the Mojave of California, Arizona, and Nevada
(which includes Death Valley, the hottest, driest, and lowest
spot in terms of elevation in the United States), the Sonoran (of
California, Arizona, and Mexico), the Chihuahuan (of western
Texas and northern Mexico), and the Great Basin (which
includes the drier regions of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New
Mexico).
North America – Bodies of Water
Lakes:
Rivers:
• The Great Lakes: Large glacial lakes located roughly on the
border of Canada and United States; includes Lakes Superior,
Michigan, Ontario, Huron, and Erie; location of important
freshwater ports such as Chicago and Milwaukee
• Great Salt Lake: Located in modern Utah, thought to be a
remnant of an ancient sea or ocean.
• Mississippi River: Longest river in North America, fourth
longest in the world. Empties into the Gulf of Mexico at the
city of New Orleans; Located at the center of the Mississippi
River Basin; significant navigable (can accommodate trade
and transportation) waterway; center of the Mississippi River
Basin, which “drains” the central United States of runoff from
precipitation between the Appalachians and Rockies.
• Major Tributaries of the Mississippi: A tributary is a river
that flows into a larger river; the major tributaries of the
Mississippi include the Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, and
Tennessee Rivers.
• St. Lawrence River: Part of the St. Lawrence Seaway,
connects the Atlantic Ocean to ports on the Great Lakes
through a series of canals
• Colorado River: Flows out of the Rockies to the Gulf of
California; significant source of water for the American
Southwest; significant tourist attraction; dams along Colorado
provide electricity to the Southwestern United States
• Rio Grande River: Flows out of the Rockies to the Gulf of
Mexico; forms the border between Texas and Mexico
Gulfs, Bays, and other Significant Bodies of Water:
• Gulf of St. Lawrence: Forms the entrance to the St. Lawrence
Seaway, leading to the Great Lakes
• Gulf of Mexico: Location of key seaports in cities such as
Houston and New Orleans, significant source of oil and
natural gas, fishing, and tourism
• Gulf of California: Located between Baja California and
Mexico
• Gulf of Alaska: Large gulf south of Alaska and west of Canada;
significant source of oil and natural gas; tourism; fishing
• Bering Sea: Rough, stormy body of water in the North Pacific
Ocean near Alaska; significant fishing area
• Bering Strait: Narrow stretch of water between Asia (Russia)
and Alaska, connecting Pacific and Arctic Oceans
• Beaufort Sea: Part of the Arctic Ocean, located to the north
of Alaska and Canada
• Baffin Bay: Located between Baffin Island and Greenland
• Hudson Bay: Large bay located in Canada
• Labrador Sea: South of Baffin Bay, located between
Greenland and Canada