Migration to America
Why did most early people migrate to the Americas?
Following their source of food
The largest group of Mound Builders was located in present-day Illinois at a place called what?
These people were very skilled in mathematics, and were the first people to use the number zero. They also created the first 365-day calendar.
The Mayans
This was a long period of extreme cold
The Ice Age
Empire
What was the primary animal that was hunted during the Ice Age? This animal would feed your people for weeks.
The Mammoth
Some mounds were built to honor animal spirits. What was the snake-like mound in Ohio called?
The Great Serpent Mound
Why did Mayan priests hold such high roles in their society?
They were believed to be able to speak to god. They were given large temples to worship.
This is an activity done for a special purpose or event, such as a birth, wedding, or death.
Ceremony
What is the practice of holding people against their will and taking away their freedom, in most cases to be put to work?
Slavery
The life of the early people centered on what?
Hunting
The Anasazi people of the Southwest were most famous for building their homes into what?
The side of cliffs
The Aztecs were located in what present-day country?
Mexico
This term means a long period without rain
Drought
The Mayans were the first people to specialize, what does this mean?
Do only one kind of job. This helped their people to begin developing skills such as basket weaving, jewelry making, and stone carving.
What was another source of food for early people who migrated to America?
Gathering. People turned into Hunter-Gatherers who would were still on the move, but would also gather plants, roots, berries, and nuts.
How were the Anasazi people able to farm in the desert?
The Anasazi dug ditches and built waterways to irrigate their crops
The Aztecs built their great city of Tenochtitlan where?
In the middle of Lake Texcoco, present-day Mexico City
This term means more food than needed to feed
Surplus
What role did war play in the growth of the Aztec Empire?
War expanded it through conquests. The people conquered by the Aztecs would join the Aztec Empire.
How did these first Americans live during the Ice Age?
Small groups, they hunted animals for food, clothing, shelter, and tools
How did the Inuit people adapt to life in the cold climate near the Arctic Ocean?
The Inuit built the kayak for travel and hunting. They hunted whales, walruses, and seals in the Arctic waters.
How did the Incas unite their empire together?
With the construction of thousands of miles of roads which linked all parts of the empire to their capital, Cuzco
This term is a culture with an organized system of government, religion, and learning.
Civilization
What was the primary reason that Mound Builders built mounds?
For religious purposes