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Introduction to Chapter 1

ANCIENT AMERICA [[LP Photo: P01.01 Detail of Native Woman with Corn/ROA_704115_01_P01.jpeg]]

BEFORE 1492

> How did ancient North American peoples shape the history of the continent before the arrival of Europeans in 1492? Chapter 1 charts the history of Native American peoples from their migration out of Asia to the eve of European contact. It explores the development of distinct Native American cultures, as well as their shared characteristics.

> When and why do historians rely on the work of archaeologists?

> How and why did humans migrate into North America?

> Why did Archaic Native Americans shift to foraging and hunting smaller animals?

> How did agriculture influence Native American cultures?

> What cultural similarities did native peoples of the Western Hemisphere share in the 1490s?

> Why was tribute important in the Mexican empire?

> Conclusion: How do we understand the worlds of ancient Americans?

Detail of Native Woman with Corn. Detail of sixteenth-century drawing with watercolor of a Native American woman in Florida.

Understanding the American Promise 3ePrinted Page 2