2. SETTING THE SCENE
Aztec “Legend of the Suns”---The universe was
created and destroyed four times. People living
under the First Sun had been destroyed by
jaguars. People living under the Second Sun were
swept away by wind. People living under the Third
Sun perished in the fire and ash of volcanoes. The
people living under the Fourth Sun were swallowed
by water. The Fifth Sun represented the time of the
Aztec empire.
Main point of this legend---important role of the sun
in Aztec religion and feeling helpless in the face of
harsh forces of nature
3. GEOGRAPHY OF THE AMERICAS
Perhaps as early as 30,000 years ago, according to
some scholars, small groups of Paleolithic hunters
and gatherers reached North America from Asia
Migration took place during the last Ice Age---a land
bridge was exposed between Siberia and Alaska in
the Bering Strait because of a drop in sea water
due to freezing
The people migrated to follow food across the land
bridge or may have used boats to begin to fish
along the coasts
5. GEOGRAPHY OF THE AMERICAS
About 10,000 BC, the Earth’s climate grew warmer
(global warming) and the land bridge was covered
by the rising sea
People needed to adapt to the new environment by
hunting smaller animals, fishing, and gathering
fruits and shellfish
The nomadic hunter-gatherers migrated eastward
and westward across the Americas
6. REGIONS
The Americas are made up of three distinct areas-- North America
Middle America (Mexico and Central America)
South America
10. MOUNTAIN CHAINS
The great mountain chain in North America is the
Rocky Mountains
The great mountain chain in Middle America is the
Sierra Madres
The great mountain chain in South America is the
Andes
34. DESERTS
When many people think of South America they
think of jungles and rain forests…however, there is
actually a desert in South America and it is the
world’s highest desert…the Atacama Desert
Besides being the world’s highest desert, the
Atacama is also the world’s driest place
There is on average less than .004 inches of rain
per year
Some places in the Atacama Desert have not had
rainfall for over 400 years!!!
40. THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION
In the Americas, as elsewhere, the greatest
adaptation occurred when some people learned to
cultivate plants and domesticate animals
Neolithic peoples in Mexico started to grow crops
such as sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and
squash
Early farmers learned to domesticate animals
In South America, llamas were prized for their wool
42. THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION
In the Americas, as in Africa and Eurasia, the
agricultural revolution helped to cause other
changes-- Farming people settled into villages
Populations expanded
Villages grew into cities and then civilizations
