Life in the Western Hemisphere

1
Chapter 1

• Life in the Western Hemisphere

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Migration to the Americas

• The early people migrated from Asia to the
  Americas to look for food and/or a better way of
  life by the Bering Strait.
• Their way of life centered around hunting and
  depended on wandering herds for food, shelter,
  clothing and tools. They moved with the herds
  and the seasons.
• Once the larger animals died out, they hunted for
  smaller animals, fish and gathered wild grains,
  root vegetable, berries and nuts.
• Agriculture made it possible for people to settle
  in one place because instead of gathering grain,
  they planted seeds.

3
Early American Cultures

• Mound builders built burial places for important
  chiefs and to honor animal spirits to hold
  religious ceremonies.
• The reason why the Mound Builders built such
  enormous structures was because they were well
  organized.

4
Early American Cultures

• How did the Anasazi become successful farmers in
  the desert?
• The first people to use irrigation (dug ditches
  to carry water from streams to crops in their
  fields).
• They were located in the Four Corners (Utah,
  Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico).
• The Anasazi are also known as the Cliff
  Dwellers because they sometimes carved houses
  into the sides of cliffs.
• The Anasazi suddenly abandoned their villages due
  to what some historians believe due toa drought,
  or a long period without rain.

5
The Inuit The People

• The Inuit lived in what is today Canada.
• They developed the kayak, a light, one-person
  boat that is used for hunting and tranportation.

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The Mayan Civilization

• What made the Mayas extremely successful?
• They began to grow a surplus of food, so they
  could specialize in different things. A surplus
  is more food than they need.
• What was a result of the Mayan having a food
  surplus?
• People could specialize and develop a variety of
  skills resulting in a complex civilization with
  many skills.
• What did the Mayans develop by studying the
  movements of the sun, moon, stars, and planets?
• They developed an extremely accurate calendar.

7
The Aztecs

• They created floating gardens, carved terraces
  into hillsides with irrigation systems.
• The Aztecs extended their borders from the
  Atlantic to Pacific Ocean by conquering other
  people in the Valley of Mexico.
• They worshipped the god of war.

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The Incan Civilization

• The had a speedy communication system
• They lived in South America around the Andes
  Mountains in what is now present day Peru.
• Their roads linked to the capital city
• They were conquerors like the Aztecs.