APUSH Notes
Peopling of the Americas:
Bering Land Bridge: Exposed during the Ice Age, allowing the first
humans to migrate from Asia to North America.
35,000 years ago: Nomadic Asian hunters, ancestors of Native
Americans, crossed into North America, populating the continent over
thousands of years.
Early Civilizations:
Incas, Mayans, Aztecs: Developed advanced civilizations in South
and Central America.
o Agriculture: Based on maize (corn), supporting large
populations and leading to the development of cities and trade.
o Aztec Human Sacrifice: Ritualistic practices, including human
sacrifices to gods.
Native American Societies in North America:
Agriculture: Corn cultivation spread from Mexico to other parts of
North America.
o Pueblo Culture: Developed in the Southwest, with intricate
irrigation systems and multistoried buildings.
o Mound Builders, Mississippian Culture, Anasazi: Cultures
that thrived with the incorporation of corn farming but declined
by around A.D. 1300.
o “Three-Sister” Farming: Corn, beans, and squash farming
technique led to high population densities among tribes like the
Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee.
Iroquois Confederacy:
Developed a strong political and military alliance in the northeastern
woodlands, influenced by a leader named Hiawatha.
Native American Life Before European Contact:
Matrilineal Societies: Power and possessions passed through the
female line.
Environmental Practices: Native Americans managed the land with
reverence, using controlled burns to improve hunting grounds.
Population: Approximately 4 million Native Americans lived in North
America by 1492, spread across the continent.
Indirect Discoverers of America:
Norse Explorers: Reached North America around A.D. 1000 but did
not establish permanent settlements.
European Crusaders: Indirectly led to the discovery of America by
increasing European interest in Asian goods, leading to exploration.
Early European Exploration:
Desire for Asian Goods: Expensive goods from Asia drove European
explorers to seek new trade routes, eventually leading to the discovery
of the New World.
Portuguese Exploration: Developed new navigation techniques and
ships, allowing for exploration along the African coast and eventual
discovery of new lands.