SECTION

1 The Earliest
Americans
What You Will Learn… If YOU were there...
Main Ideas
1. Climate changes allowed
Paleo-Indians to begin the first
migration to the Americas.
2. Early societies existed in
Mesoamerica and South
America.

The Big Idea How would settling here change your way of life?
Native American societies
developed across Mesoamerica
and South America.

Key Terms and People The first settlers to the Americas

Bering Land Bridge, p. 6 probably came in small groups from Asia. Over thousands of years,
Paleo-Indians, p. 6 they moved into nearly every region of North and South America.
migration, p. 6 In the Americas, these people encountered, and adapted to, many
hunter-gatherers, p. 6 different climates and types of land.
environments, p. 7
culture, p. 7

Many scientists believe that the first people arrived in North America
Use the graphic organizer online during the last Ice Age. At the start of the Ice Age, Earth’s climate
to take notes on the migrations of became intensely cold. Large amounts of water froze into huge, mov-
people to the Americas and the ing sheets of ice called glaciers. As a result, ocean levels dropped more
earliest American cultures and than 300 feet lower than they are today. When the sea level fell, a
their locations.
land bridge between northeastern Asia and present-day Alaska was
exposed. Geographers call this strip of land the .
Although no one knows exactly when or how people crossed into
North America, evidence suggests that people called
crossed this bridge into Alaska between 38,000 and 10,000 BC.
This — a movement of people or animals from one
region to another—took place over a long time. It is believed that
Paleo-Indians traveled south into Canada, the United States, and
Mexico following herds of animals. Over time, their descendants
went as far as the southern tip of South America. These people were
, people who hunted animals and gathered wild
plants for food.

6 CHAPTER 1
Land Migrations of Early Peoples

ASIA

180˚
0˚
it 170˚W
ra
g St 160˚W
ri n

N
10˚W
Be

70˚
150˚W
140˚W 20˚W
130˚W

About 8000 BC,

le
rc
Ci
ALASKA
Earth’s climate grew

ic
ct
Ar
30˚W
warmer, and the Ice Age

˚N
ended. Rising temperatures

60
melted glaciers. Water levels
40˚W
in the oceans rose, and the Bering
Land Bridge was covered with water.
L AU R E NT I D E
The warmer climate at the end of
ICE SHEET
the Ice Age created new , 50˚W
50
˚N

climates and landscapes that surround

living things. Large herds of animals such
as buffalo and deer ate new short grasses
that thrived in the warm climate. As the
number of these animals grew, Paleo- 40˚
N

Indians hunted these animals for survival.

Varied environments influenced the N O RT H
development of different Native Ameri- AMERICA
N

E
can societies, or groups that share a cul- 120˚W W 60˚W

ture. is a group’s set of common 30˚N

S

values and traditions, including language,

government, and family relationships. AT L AN TI C
O C EA N
Like all societies, Native American
groups changed over time. People planted Gulf of Mexico

seeds, and eventually they learned to breed 90˚W

animals, farm, and grow plants. Maize, or 110˚W

MESOAMERICA 20˚N

corn, was one of their most important early

crops. Later, they learned to grow beans and
100˚W
squash. Farming allowed people to stop mov-
GEOGR APHY
ing around looking for food and to settle in SKILLS INTERPRETING MAPS
PACI FI C
one place. With adequate food supplies, set-
O C EA N In what general direction
1. Movement
tlements could support larger populations. did early peoples migrate?
As populations grew, more advanced societ- 2. Human-Environment Interaction
ies began to develop. What natural features affected the
route people took from Alaska to SOUTH
southern North America? AM ER IC A
READING CHECK Drawing Conclusions How
did climate change affect early peoples’ migrations?

THE WORLD BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE ATLANTIC 7

 In the 900s Maya civilization began to
ANIMATED collapse. Historians are still not sure what
HISTORY caused this great civilization’s decline.
Early Native Some of the earliest American cultures arose
American Life
in Mesoamerica, a region that includes the
southern part of what is now Mexico and the The Aztec were fierce warriors, and their superior
northern parts of Central America. military ability was key to their success. Around
the mid-1100s AD, the Aztec migrated south to
ACADEMIC central Mexico. They conquered many towns,
VOCABULARY Around 1200 BC the Olmec developed the made alliances to build their empire, and con-
develop the
earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica. trolled a huge trade network.
process of
growing or The Olmec are known for their use of stone in In AD 1325, the Aztec founded their capi-
improving architecture and sculpture. They built the first tal, Tenochtitlán (tay-nawch-teet-LAHN), on an
pyramids in the Americas, and they created island in Lake Texcoco. It became the greatest
sculptures of huge stone heads. When their city in the Americas and one of the world’s larg-
civilization ended around 400 BC, trade had est cities. The city’s island location made travel
spread Olmec culture throughout the region. and trade difficult, so the Aztec built raised
Like the Olmec, the Maya grew maize roads to connect the island to the shore.
and other crops and lived in small villages. Trade and tribute paid by conquered peo-
These villages traded goods with each other, ple in the form of cotton, gold, and food made
and by about AD 200, the Maya were build- the Aztec rich. By the early 1500s, they ruled
ing large cities. the most powerful state in Mesoamerica.
Maya cities had pyramids, large stone
temples, palaces, and bridges. The Maya
also paved large plazas for public gatherings The Inca began as a small tribe in the Andes
and built canals to control the flow of water Mountains of South America. They named
through the cities. their capital city Cuzco (KOO-skoh). In the

The ancient Maya city of Palenque was a

major power on the border between the
Maya highlands and lowlands. Its great
temples and plazas were typical of the
Classic Age of Maya civilization.
VIDEO
Mexico’s
Ancient
Civilizations

8
mid-1400s, the Inca began to expand their Aztec and Inca 30 N
territory. By the 1500s the empire stretched
Civilizations
along the Pacific coast from what is now
northern Ecuador to central Chile. In time, the Tropic of Cancer

empire was home to about 12 million people. 20 N

20 N
The Inca formed a strong central government
with a king as ruler. The official language of
the empire was Quechua. Because there was
10 N
no written language, records were kept on a 10 N

system of knotted strings called quipu.

The Inca are known for building and for
art. Massive buildings and forts were made
of huge stone blocks. An advanced system of
highways ran the length of the empire. Paved Aztec Empire, 1400–1521
roads and rope bridges connected all parts of Inca Empire, 1438–1532
Capital city
Inca territory. This enabled the Inca to com- 10 S
0 200 400 Miles
municate with and control their large empire.
0 200 400 Kilometers

READING CHECK Summarizing What early PERUM

civilizations existed in Mesoamerica and South

OU N T A I N S
20 S
America?
90 W 80 W
GEOGRAPHY

Early people SKILLS INTERPRETING MAPS

30 S
migrated into North and South America 1. Location Which early civilization was
and developed societies. In the next sec- located in Mesoamerica?
2. Human-Environment Interaction Why do
tion you will learn about Native American you think Peru was settled after Mexico? 40 S
cultures in North America. 40 S

Section 1 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ

Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People Critical Thinking

1. a. Recall What was the Ice Age? 3. Categorizing Review your notes on the migration
b. Summarize Why were early peoples able to use of early peoples and their societies. Then copy the
the Bering Land Bridge? table below and use it to identify the accomplish-
c. Predict Why do you think early peoples in the ments of early American civilizations.
Americas migrated south?
2. a. Identify What is the earliest known civilization Rise Significant Accomplishments
Olmec
in the Americas, and where was it located?
Maya
b. Analyze How did the Aztec build such a Aztec
powerful, rich state? Inca
c. Draw Conclusions Which of the four civiliza-
tions discussed do you think was the most highly
FOCUS ON WRITING
developed?
4. Understanding Ancient Peoples Use the descrip-
tions of the earliest Americans found in this section
to list some similarities and differences between
the lives of ancient peoples and your life today.

THE WORLD BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE ATLANTIC 9