The Handy American History Answer Book. David L. Hudson
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January 28, the space shuttle Challenger explodes.
Who were the first people to inhabit North America?
There is no sure answer to this question, but many historians or paleontologists believe the first people to inhabit what is present-day North America crossed near the Bering Sea, which connects Asia with Alaska. There is a piece of land known as the Bering Strait, which is less than sixty miles long. Many believe that during the Ice Age—sometime between 34,000 B.C.E. and 30,000 B.C.E.—many people crossed the Bering Sea or Bering Strait when it was a land mass to reach North America. While scientists agree that the first people crossed the Bering Strait during the Ice Age, they do not know the identity of these first peoples.
Most scholars also agree that there were several discrete, and perhaps isolated, movements of various peoples from Asia to the Americas. The migrations might have been prompted by population increases in the tribes of central Asia, which impelled some to move eastward in search of food sources—animals. As game moved across the Bering Strait, hunters followed.
Who are the Native Americans?
Native Americans is a term often used to describe American Indians, widely believed to be the first peoples to inhabit the Americas, including North America. Some historians have claimed that at one time there were sixty million Native Americans living on the continent. Their population declined dramatically when they came into contact with Europeans and diseases or epidemics Europeans transmitted.
Around 5,000 B.C.E., the disappearance of large game animals in both North and South America produced a series of regional developments, culminating in the emergence of several great civilizations, including the Inca, Maya, and Aztec.
Is there much evidence of these early peoples?
Not much, as it was so long ago. However, archaeologists have found numerous artifacts dating back to at least 12,000 or 10,000 B.C.E. in parts of North America. For example, artifacts from that time period have been found in Alaska, Oregon, and New Mexico.
Who are the Anasazi?
The Anasazi refer to an ancient Pueblo Indian tribe that inhabited parts of the southwestern United States during 10,000 to 5,000 B.C.E. Anasazi is roughly translated to “ancient ones.” This ancient Pueblo culture featured adobe buildings and beautiful baskets. They are sometimes referred to as the “Basket Makers.” The ancient Pueblo peoples were also known for their mastery of pottery.
What were mounds?
Mounds, also known as earthworks, were man-made piles of land and/or rocks created by early Indians in the United States. There is evidence of mounds in Louisiana and Florida dating back to at least 3,000 B.C.E. There is a mound complex known as Watson Brake in Louisiana that is believed to be the oldest mound complex in North America. Historians date this complex to around 3,500 B.C.E.
The Escalante pueblo in Colorado is an example of ruins left behind by the Anasazi people, who occupied it in the twelfth century.
What was the environment of the first Americans?
The original people of North America lived in many different types of environments. On the eastern side of North America, Native Americans lived in woodlands, hunting elk and deer. On the grass plains of the Midwest, Native Americans hunted camel and other mammals—some of whom are extinct on this continent. In the desert regions of the Southwest, Native Americans relied on the gathering of seeds and smaller animals. In the Arctic north, there was much more hunting and fishing.
What were the first crops developed by the early Indian cultures?
The earliest crops were squash and chili in the southwestern United States. The Native Americans also developed corn, or maize, as an early crop. They then started cultivating various types of beans.
THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO REACH AMERICA
Who was the first European to reach North America?
Many believe the first European to reach North America was a Norse explorer named Leif Ericsson (970–1020), who arguably reached North America around 1,000 B.C.E.—more than 400 years before Christopher Columbus. He established a small Norse settlement known as Vinland in what is now modern-day Newfoundland in Canada. Ericksson was born in Iceland and was the son of the famous explorer Erik the Red (950–1003).
About 1001, Ericsson set out from Greenland with a crew of thirty-five men and probably landed on the southern end of Baffin Island, due north of the province of Quebec. The expedition likely made it to Labrador, Newfoundland (on the northeastern North American mainland), and later landed on the coast of what is today Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, Canada; this landfall may have been at L’Anse aux Meadows (on Newfoundland Island). Ericson and his crew spent the winter of 1001–1002 at a place he called Vinland, which was described as well wooded and produced fruit, especially grapes. He returned to Greenland in the spring of 1002.
Who was Christopher Columbus?
Christopher Columbus, or Christoforo Columbo (1451–1506), was an Italian-born explorer best known for his multiple voyages to the Americas, or the so-called “New World.” Columbus studied maps and had a fascination for seafaring exploration. He initially approached King John