MesoAmerican cultures
There was a erea called ice age, so during the ice age, Americans (like Indians) a crossed the Bering Strait for food. So they were
came from Asia and they arrived ice age, basically when the earth was frozen. When they crossed it, they kind of spread to north and
south for food. There was significant incident, there was a agricultural revolution. It changed whole civilization. These revolution
took place in American continent especially in Central America(Mesoamerica). They started to plant things. Agricultural revolution
make possible to let Native American civilization to emerge.
First people who developed the first civilization in Mesoamerica people are called Olmec. Olmec developed complex society with
temples and villages and pyramid. They had time to develop Le some cultures. Olmec influenced others too. Olmec civilization was
popular but suddenly disappeared.
And new civilization emerged called Maya civilization. Mayans actually developed calendar based on astronomy based on stars.
They are talented in math and engineering. They also built pyramids. Pyramid was used as temple. It was like a temple. Mayans also
declined, they abandoned their city.
After Mayans, Aztecs (Chichimec) emerged, they called themselves Mexica. These people found city called Tenochtitlán (capital of
Aztec empire). It was the largest city during that time. The city was located in lake. Aztec created empire conquering their
neighboring cities by using army. They forced the payment to other cities. They captured the people of lost cities states and brought
to the Tenochtitlans and they killed them, like ceremony.
Civilization in North America
People who are living in North America adapted to their environment. The America can be divide into 4 regions which is Northern
west, souther west, eastern west, and the nomadic plains. They have all different economic activities.
South east:
South East were heavily influenced by Mississippian culture. It emerged close to Mississippi River. They got River so means rich
soil, and it is well suited to cultivate corns and beans. They also built cities. They were also called Mound. They build housed on the
top of mound. Their culture spread in America. The biggest well known who are influenced by Mississippians are called Cherokee.
South West:
Anasazi and we also call them Pueblo. These people lived in 4 corners area, the reason it is 4 corners is they are all connected. The
states meet each other. These regions are like desert. So they used technology to collect rain water. They also built villages by
cutting stones. People who were living in this region is called Hohocam. They were influenced by mesoamerican culture so they built
canals so they can carry water to their farms. They grew beans, corns and squash ( )and we call this crops , three sisters. They
had to give up these things because of drought, competition for farm land, so they disappeared.
Great Plains:
Middle part of America. They were mostly nomads and centered hunting buffalos. Most people hunted buffalo except people called
Pawnee. They did hunting and farming. When Spanish brought horses, it brought dramatic changed particular group of people called
Lakota Sioux. They gained the horses and became the masters of the horses and greatest hunters in America.
North eatern:
It was full of woods. They combined fishing and farming and hunting. They mostly hunted deers and they went to fishing and at the
same time they grew 3 sisters. Slash and burn agriculture, the area of forest were cleared so they can farm there. There are two
people who live in this region, Algonquian people who speak Algonquian and Iroquois people. Most well known Algonquian people
is Powathan people, is like tribe people. They are the one who first counter English people. Iroquois, there are many tribes also. The
Mohawk is like a tribe people, and who speak Iroquois. They didn’t like each other and they fight each other, Iroquoian people. They
realized they are similar people so they made a alliance, 5 Iroquoian tribes made a alliance named Iroquois Confederacy.
(Algonquian and Iroquois there are many tribes.) Like Speak English, USA and Britain.
Pacific North western: They had a abundant natural resources. Rivers provided salmons and fishes, and a lot of foods were there
because there were a lot of tress and they built house and boats. Chinook is the best well known people in pacific north western.
Kwakiutl is a tribe, they are the one who built totems, and the purpose of totems was for to thanks to their ancestral spirit.
They had a all common characteristic I all region. They lived in family unit and part of larger clan. They lived in villages and did the
labor by gender. They also shared strong spirituality. They had a religion. Also Native American did not have tradition of private
property rights particularly on land. They thought land cannot be owned or traded.