Early American Cultures

Early cultures developed in different parts of America .Once flourished and then
disappeared. Today we find signs of towns that no longer exist in many parts of
our continent.
In North America mention three groups:
Mound Builders, Inuit, and The Anasazi.
Three powerful civilizations developed in Mexico, Central America and South
America:
The Aztecs, Mayas and Incas.

Mound Builders

This culture develops east of the Mississippi River began about 3,000 years
ago, they were not a single group of people. The three main groups were the
Adena, Hopewell, and Mississipians. They built thousands on mounds in many
different shapes.

The Anasazi

This culture develops in the Southwest in a area today called the Four Corners.
lived in this area from about the year 100 to about 1300.
They grew corn, squash, beans, and pumpkins. The climate of the Four Corner
region is dry, they dug ditches to carry water from steams to the crops in their
fields.
They also built apartment-style buildings.

Inuit

Reach Alaska from Asia. The Inuit adapted to life in cold climate. They hunted
whales, walruses, and seals in the Artic water. In the winter some Inuit still
build traditional houses called igloos from blocks of packed snow.

The Aztecs

The Aztecs were a wandering people before they settled in the Valley of Mexico
on swampy land in Lake Texcoco and founded Tenochtitlan. It grew in size and
importance until it became the capital of the mighty Aztec empire.

The Mayan

The Mayan civilization developed in Mexico and central America, shared a

common culture and religion, but they did not have a single capital city or ruler.
The Maya made great advances in astronomy and mathematics. They also
developed a System of writing.

The Inca

The Incan Empire developed in the Andes Mountains when The Inca conquered
the area around the city of Cuzco and made it their capital. Their roads and
government system helped the Inca keep control over their vast empire.