Native Americans

Erwin Middle SchoolMr. Scullion

New Connections

In the late 1400s, Europeans developed strong, fast sailing ships and

learned to navigate across long distances. European merchants and

rulers began to finance expeditions to explore the globe. They were

curious about the land and eager to make money. Some also wanted to

spread Christianity.

Explorers first sailed down the West African coast, looking for gold and

spices. Then they set out across the Atlantic and ran into the Americas.

Christopher Columbus made his famous voyage in 1492, and other

explorers quickly followed.

Soon, the lands that bordered the Atlantic Ocean—the west coast of

Africa, the east coast of the Americas, and the western nations of

Europe—were linked together. Large numbers of Europeans began to

sail to the Americas. Many brought enslaved Africans with them.

African, European, and Native American societies all had unique

traditions and practices. As people from these cultures began building

what would become North Carolina, many traditions were lost.

However, cultures also blended together to create new ways of living.

To understand the cultures that shaped North Carolina, it is important

to know about Africa, Europe, and the Americas before they became

connected with one another. Today we will learn about the Americas.

Introduction

Exactly when and how humans came to the Americas

remains something of a mystery. But the Indians we know

through history developed over time, through today’s lesson

we are going to study where they came from, how they

developed over time and when their lives would be changed

forever.

Where did the Native Americans come From

?

For many years, scientists thought humans first came to the Americas

from Asia some time between 14,000 and 25,000 years ago, during a

major Ice Age. According to this theory, the dropping temperatures that

created the Ice Age caused seawater to freeze and ocean levels to fall.

When the oceans fell, a land bridge emerged between North America

and Siberia. Asian people from Siberia walked across the bridge and

spread across the Americas. Over time, they developed cultures and

economies that ranged from the vast farming empires of South America

to the small fishing communities of the eastern coast of North America.

A Developing Culture

Paleo Indians

20,000 to 8,000 B.C.

A Developing Culture

Paleo Indians

20,000 to 8,000 B.C.

When humans first came to the Carolinas, the climate was quite cold,

and large beasts, such as mammoths, roamed freely. People survived

by hunting. We call this time the Paleo-Indian period. Archaeologists

believe Paleo-Indians were nomads, who moved from place to place

in search of large game. Paleo-Indians are known for large stone

spear points that have been found across the South and in other parts

of the country.

A Developing Culture

Archaic Indians

8,000 to 700 B.C.

A Developing Culture

Archaic Indians

8,000 to 700 B.C.

When the climate warmed, native societies changed and the Archaic

period began. A warmer climate brought a greater variety of plants

and animals. Archaic people hunted new kinds of game, learned to

fish, and gathered nuts and berries. Some time around 4000 B.C.,

the Archaic people also began to farm. Groups moved around less.

Instead of constantly following game, they moved between a few

specific places: farm fields in summer, hunting grounds in winter, the

coast in spring. They began to make pottery and trade with other

groups.

A Developing Culture

Mississippian

Indians

700 B.C. to 1600

A.D.

A Developing CultureMississippian

Indians

700 B.C. to 1600

A.D.

After 700 B.C., southern Indians began to grow corn and make more

permanent settlements. They spent most of the year in one place, living

mainly on the crops they grew. They also developed bows and arrows,

which made hunting easier. Because they moved around less, they had

more time to make elaborate pottery, ornaments, baskets, and other

items.

Mississippian Indians created more elaborate societies. They cultivated

large farms and built temples on top of huge dirt mounds. Many of these

mounds survive today. One North Carolina mound, the Town Creek

Mound, is near Mount Gilead in Montgomery County. But most

Mississippian towns developed to the south and west of North Carolina.

Some of the most impressive mounds are in Alabama and Missouri.

North Carolina Tribes

Indian Life

Indian Life

Although the native groups in North Carolina were different from one

another, they shared many common characteristics. Natives lived in

small towns that were based on family ties. Their lives revolved around

the seasons. In late spring, men cleared brush and trees away from

community fields. Women planted corn, peas, and beans. During the

winter, men hunted and women gathered nuts, berries, and roots. In

early spring, people living near the shore headed to the beach to feast

on oysters and spawning fish.

Few of North Carolina’s Indians sought to grow rich. They enjoyed

luxuries like pearls, exotic shells, or copper ornaments. Still, individual

bands rarely produced more food than they needed for a year. Fields

required little attention and game was plentiful. English explorer John

Lawson once called the Indians “the freest People in the World.”