-
10,000 BCE
Nomads
Earth's temperature began to rise
The Ice age was ending
The land bridge that brought over the travellers could no longer be crossed, so they had to settle in America -
10,000 BCE
The Inuit (Before 10,000 BC)
The Inuit hunted and fished
Traveled around on sleds made of skins and bones pulled by dogs
Scientists believe the Inuit were the last migrants to cross the land bridge before it was covered by water again -
7000 BCE
Early settlers
People in South America and Central Mexico started to plant seeds and grow food
They learned how to raise an early form of corn called Maize -
1300 BCE
The Olmec People
Lived along the Gulf Coast
One of the first civilizations
Farmers, fishers, artists, sculptors, and preists
First americans to use stone in architecture -
800 BCE
The Adena People
Lived along the Ohio River
One of the first Mound Builder people
Mound Builders were people who built small rounded earth either to bury their dead or for religious reasons -
300 BCE
The Mayan Culture
Lived in what is now Southern Mexico and Guatemala
Mayans formed corn dough into flat cakes similar to modern day tortillas
Built many large cities
Were skilled astronomers and built pyramids -
200 BCE
The Hopewell People
Stood out for their flamboyant burial customs and outstanding architecture
Traded raw materials and artifacts across North America -
200
The Anasazi
Emerged in the South West
Used irrigation to water their farms
Worshipped many gods related nature -
700
The Mississippians
Many Mississippian towns contained mounds 100 feet or higher
Created beautiful objects made of stone, marine shells, pottery, and natural copper.
Came to an end with the arrival of the Eurpoeans
Remaining people moved to trade with the Europeans -
700
The Mississippian Civilization
Typically group into cheifdoms
Unknown Language
Lived in small towns based on farming -
1000
The Cahokia People
Built small rounded piles of earth to bury their dead
The largest ancient mound is at Cahokia, California
Lived along the Mississippi River -
1100
The Aztecs
Settled in the Valley of Mexico
Captured their enemies
ar was important to their people
Aztec culture is still present in Mexican culture today -
1300
Anasazi Leave Their Pueblos
Left their homes to live in smaller communities
Viliages lost becaues of drought--crops began to dry up -
1400
The Incas
Conquered neighboring people
Both Aztec and Inca built great stone monuments that tell us about their lives
Were called "Children of the Sun" -
1400
The Incas
Established their empire in southern Peru
Conqured neighboring people and stretched from present-day Ecuador to central Chile
Both the Aztec and Inca built stone monuments -
1438
Pachuti Comes into Power
Brought his son, TOa Inca, to conquer communities
Organized the empire
Made people pay taxes and spread the Inca religion -
1519
The Fall of the Aztecs
Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador, first led his soldiers to the Aztec civilization
Invasion led to Montezuma's death
Diseases the Spanish brought were extremely deadly to the Aztecs -
1532
Fall of the Incas
Destroyed by civil war
Spanish invaded and took out the empire -
1572
Dawn of a New Emire
Highly developed civilizations flourished in the Western Hemisphere
Protugal looked for a sailing route close to Africa's coast so they could trade -
1572
Inca Empire Collapes
Last emporer executed by Spanish invaders led by Fransisco Pizarro
The descendants of the Incas still live in Peru today