Native American Societies BEFORE 1492 [APUSH Unit 1 Topic 2] 1.2

Summary

This video script introduces the AP U.S. History curriculum's Unit 1, Topic 2, focusing on the Americas before European arrival. It emphasizes the diversity of Native American cultures, from nomadic hunters to complex city-states like the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations. The script highlights the importance of maize cultivation and explores various regions, including the Southwest, Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, and the Mississippi River Valley, showcasing the distinct ways of life and societal structures of pre-Columbian America.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video begins an exploration of the AP U.S. History curriculum, focusing on Unit 1 Topic 2: The Americas before European arrival.
• 🌍 The script emphasizes the diversity of Native American cultures, debunking the stereotype of a homogenous group across the continent.
• 🏙️ In Central and South America, three major civilizations emerged: the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca, each with large urban centers, complex political systems, and well-formed religions.
• 📜 The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, had a capital city, Tenochtitlan, with a population of 300,000 and a written language, along with complex irrigation systems and a fertility cult upheld by human sacrifice.
• 🏰 The Maya civilization was known for its large cities, complex irrigation and water storage systems, and monumental architecture like stone temples and palaces.
• 🏞️ The Inca civilization, in the Andes Mountains, was vast, ruling over 16 million people and covering about 350,000 square miles, with a key to their success being the cultivation of fertile mountain valleys.
• 🌽 Maize cultivation was crucial for these civilizations, providing a nutritious crop that supported economic development, settlement, and social diversification as it spread north.
• 🏡 In the North American Southwest, the Pueblo people were sedentary farmers of maize and other crops, building adobe and masonry homes, including some in cliffs.
• 🌿 The Great Plains and the Great Basin regions were home to nomadic hunter-gatherer peoples like the Ute, living in small, egalitarian kinship-based bands.
• 🛶 In the Pacific Northwest, coastal peoples like the Chinook lived in fishing villages, relying on abundant marine life and constructing large plank houses from cedar trees.
• 🌾 The Mississippi River Valley was home to complex societies like the Hopewell and Cahokia, with large settlements, extensive trade networks, and centralized governments.
• 🏘️ The Iroquois in the Northeast lived in longhouses within villages, growing crops like maize, squash, and beans, and were part of a larger kinship community.

Q & A

Why does the video start with Unit 1 Topic 2 instead of Unit 1 Topic 1?

The video starts with Unit 1 Topic 2 because the first and last topics in every unit of the AP U.S. History curriculum review the whole unit, and the instructor already has videos reviewing the whole unit, so they are skipped.

What is the main idea the instructor wants students to take away from the video about the Americas before European arrival?

The main idea is that Native American peoples organized themselves into diverse cultures depending on where they lived, emphasizing that they were not a homogenous group but had varied lifestyles and social structures.

What are the three major civilizations that emerged in Central and South America with large urban centers, complex political systems, and well-formed religions?

The three major civilizations are the Aztecs in Central America, the Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Inca people in the Andes Mountains along the Pacific coast in what is today Peru.

What was the Aztec capital city, and what was its population at its height?

The Aztec capital city was Tenochtitlan, which at its height was home to 300,000 people.

What common agricultural practice linked the three major civilizations of Central and South America?

The cultivation of maize, a nutritious crop similar to corn, was a common agricultural practice that linked the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca people.

How did the cultivation of maize support economic development and social diversification among societies in the American Southwest?

The cultivation of maize supported economic development and social diversification by providing a nutritious crop that allowed for the establishment of more settled societies, advanced irrigation, and a more complex social structure.

What type of society did the Pueblo people of the present-day New Mexico and Arizona have?

The Pueblo people were a sedentary population that farmed maize and other crops, built adobe and masonry homes, and had a highly organized society with administrative offices, religious centers, and craft shops.

What kind of lifestyle did the Ute people living in the Great Plains and the Great Basin regions lead?

The Ute people led a nomadic lifestyle as hunter-gatherers, living in small egalitarian kinship-based bands due to the need for large land areas for hunting and gathering in the arid regions.

What was unique about the housing of the Chinook people in the Pacific Northwest?

The Chinook people lived in fishing villages and constructed giant plank houses made from cedar trees, which could house up to 70 members of the same kinship band.

What was the Hopewell people's method of extensive trade, and what did they trade with regions as far away as?

The Hopewell people lived in towns of about four thousand to six thousand people and traded extensively with other regions, as far away as Florida and the Rocky Mountains.

What was the significance of the Cahokia people's settlement in the Mississippi River Valley?

The Cahokia people had the largest settlement in the region, with a population between 10,000 and 30,000 at its height, and they were led by powerful chieftains who centralized the government and engaged in extensive trade networks from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to Native American Civilizations

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on the diverse cultures of Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. It emphasizes the misconception of a homogenous Native American culture and highlights the variety of lifestyles, from nomadic hunters to complex city-based empires. The Aztecs, Maya, and Inca civilizations are mentioned as examples of advanced societies with large urban centers, complex political systems, and religions. The paragraph also notes the importance of maize cultivation for economic and social development.

05:00

🏞 Diverse Societies of North America

The second paragraph delves into the diversity of Native American societies in North America. It describes the Pueblo people of the Southwest, who were sedentary farmers and built homes in the cliffs. The nomadic hunter-gatherers of the Great Plains and the Great Basin, such as the Ute people, are also highlighted. The paragraph then discusses the coastal societies of the Pacific Northwest, like the Chinook and Chumash, who relied on fishing and hunting, and built large communal houses. Finally, it covers the Hopewell and Cahokia people of the Mississippi River Valley, known for their extensive trade networks and large settlements, as well as the Iroquois in the Northeast, who lived in longhouses and cultivated crops like maize, squash, and beans.

Keywords

💡AP U.S. History Curriculum

The AP U.S. History Curriculum is a comprehensive study program designed for high school students preparing for the Advanced Placement U.S. History exam. It covers a wide range of topics from the early history of America to modern times. In the video, the curriculum is the framework through which the instructor guides the students, starting with Unit 1 Topic 2, which focuses on the Americas before European arrival.

💡Native Americans

Native Americans refers to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, who lived in the region before the arrival of Europeans. The video emphasizes the diversity of Native American cultures, which is a key concept in understanding the pre-Columbian history of the Americas. The script mentions various examples, such as the Aztecs, Maya, and Inca, to illustrate the range of societies that existed.

💡Diverse Cultures

Diverse cultures in the context of the video refers to the variety of social structures, lifestyles, and belief systems among the Native American populations before European contact. The instructor uses this term to challenge the stereotype of a homogenous Native American identity and to highlight the complexity of pre-Columbian societies, such as the differences between sedentary farming communities and nomadic hunter-gatherers.

💡Aztecs

The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, were a Mesoamerican civilization known for their capital city, Tenochtitlan, and their complex social, political, and religious systems. The video uses the Aztecs as an example of one of the three major civilizations in Central and South America, illustrating their advanced city planning, written language, and religious practices, including human sacrifice.

💡Maya

The Maya civilization is renowned for its large cities, complex irrigation and water storage systems, and monumental architecture, such as stone temples and palaces. The video script positions the Maya as one of the significant pre-Columbian cultures in the Yucatan Peninsula, emphasizing their belief in rulers descending from gods.

💡Inca

The Inca people represent another major civilization in the Americas, with their empire based in the Andes Mountains along the Pacific coast. The video mentions the Inca's vast territory and population, highlighting their agricultural practices in fertile mountain valleys and their sophisticated irrigation systems.

💡Maize

Maize, a crop similar to corn, is highlighted in the video as a crucial agricultural development for pre-Columbian societies. Its cultivation supported economic growth and social diversification, as it was a nutritious and adaptable crop that could be grown in various regions, from the Andes to the American Southwest.

💡Pueblo People

The Pueblo people of the present-day southwestern United States are introduced in the video as a sedentary population that practiced agriculture, particularly maize cultivation. They built adobe and masonry homes, indicating a settled and organized society with administrative and religious structures.

💡Hunter-Gatherers

Hunter-gatherers in the video refer to the nomadic peoples of the Great Plains and the Great Basin regions who relied on hunting and gathering for subsistence. The script uses the Ute people as an example, illustrating their lifestyle in small, egalitarian kinship-based bands due to the need for large land areas to support their way of life.

💡Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest, as mentioned in the video, was home to societies that lived by the sea and relied heavily on fishing and hunting, such as the Chinook people. They constructed large plank houses from cedar trees, reflecting a settled lifestyle despite their dependence on hunting and gathering.

💡Mississippi River Valley

The Mississippi River Valley is noted in the video for its fertile soil that allowed for stable agricultural societies. The Hopewell and Cahokia people are mentioned as examples of complex societies in this region, with extensive trade networks and large settlements, indicating advanced social and political organization.

💡Iroquois

The Iroquois, located in the northeastern part of America, are presented in the video as a society that lived in villages and practiced agriculture, particularly growing maize, squash, and beans. They are also noted for their longhouses, which housed large family groups, reflecting a communal living arrangement.

Highlights

Introduction to the AP U.S. History curriculum focusing on Unit 1 Topic 2: The Americas before European arrival.

Explanation of why Unit 1 Topic 1 is skipped as it reviews the unit, and the instructor has videos for that purpose.

Emphasis on the diversity of Native American cultures, contrary to the common stereotype of a single, unified culture.

Overview of the Aztec civilization, including their capital city Tenochtitlan and their complex systems of irrigation and human sacrifice.

Introduction to the Maya civilization, their large cities, and advanced architectural and irrigation systems.

Discussion of the Inca civilization, their massive empire, and their cultivation of fertile mountain valleys.

Importance of maize cultivation for the economic development and social diversification of Native American societies.

Description of the Pueblo people's sedentary lifestyle, farming practices, and architectural achievements.

Examination of the nomadic peoples of the Great Plains and Great Basin, their lifestyle, and the Ute people as an example.

Introduction to the Pacific Northwest societies, their reliance on fishing and hunting, and the Chinook and Chumash people.

Overview of the Hopewell and Cahokia people in the Mississippi River Valley, their large settlements, and trade networks.

Highlight of the Iroquois people in the Northeast, their village structure, farming practices, and longhouse living.

The significance of maize as a nutritious crop that supported the spread of Native American societies northward.

Invitation to subscribe for more AP U.S. History help and video content.

The instructor's signature sign-off, indicating the end of the video.

Transcripts

hey there and welcome to a new year at heimler's  history this year we're going to be working our  

way through the ap u.s history curriculum one  topic at a time and i'm glad to have you along  

in this video we're going to begin with unit 1  topic 2 which is all about the americas before  

the europeans arrive so we've got no time to waste  get them brain cows ready i'm about to milk them  

let's get to it all right let me begin by telling  you why we're starting with unit one topic two and  

not unit one topic one in every unit of the ap u.s  history curriculum the first and the last topics  

basically just review the whole unit and i've  got videos reviewing the whole unit so we're just  

gonna skip those good good good so we begin our  study of united states history before there even  

was a united states namely in native america now  the big idea that you need to take away from this  

video is that before the europeans arrived on the  american shores native american peoples organized  

themselves into diverse cultures depending on  where they live and it's the diverse cultures part  

that i need to emphasize commonly when we think  of native americans we think of guys on horses  

killing buffalo and retiring to their teepees at  night we just sort of paced that idea over the  

whole continent but that is patently untrue some  native americans lived in fishing villages others  

roamed the land as nomadic hunters and gatherers  some settled down and got their farm on while  

others congregated in giant city-based empires  so you have to realize that when we encounter the  

americas before the european arrival we're dealing  with a very diverse set of folks so let's just  

take a jaunt around the american continents and  see what's going on first let's talk about central  

and south america there three major civilizations  emerged all of them boasting large urban centers  

complex political systems and well-formed  religions let's start with our friends the aztecs  

in central america or mesoamerica now you may  hear these people referred to as the mexica  

which is what they call themselves so don't get  confused azdek's mexica semiconductor they had a  

magnificent capital city called tenochtitlan which  at its height was home to 300 000 people they had  

a written language they employed complex systems  of irrigation priests upheld a cult of fertility  

both for the land and for the people and such  fertility was only upheld by human sacrifice all  

right people the crops are looking a little peaked  population is down i think you know where this is  

headed kevin you about to get sacrificed hey kevin  is back and if you're here for ap world you might  

remember kevin he's always getting sacrificed by  the aztecs anyway let's move along to the second  

civilization in this region the maya now they  established themselves on the yucatan peninsula  

and the maya also developed large cities they  made use of complex irrigation and water storage  

systems they built giant stone temples and palaces  for rulers whom they believed were descended from  

the gods and then going even further south  into south america we've got the inca people  

they established their civilization in the andes  mountains along the pacific coast in what is today  

peru and this empire was massive at its height it  ruled 16 million people and covered something like  

350 000 square miles that's a lot of land tony now  the key to the success of the inca people was the  

cultivation of fertile mountain valleys where they  grew potatoes and other crops which were watered  

by elaborate systems of irrigation now one thing  all three of these civilizations had in common was  

the cultivation of maize which is a corn like crop  and you know what if you never tasted it trust me  

it's amazing you know no matter how many times  i recycle that joke it's always funny but the  

cultivation of maize is important because it was  a nutritious crop and as it spread north into the  

present day american southwest the establishment  of this crop supported economic development the  

settlement of peoples advanced irrigation  and social diversification among societies  

so the point is maize is a big deal and i'm  not going to make any more corny jokes about it  

sorry anyway as i said maize cultivation  spread north and so we ought to spread our  

learning a little bit north too so on the north  american continent we also meet a diversity of  

native peoples and just for poops and  giggles let's start with the southwest  

let me introduce you to the pueblo people who  lived in present-day new mexico and arizona  

they were a sedentary population which means they  kind of stayed in one place and didn't move around  

there were farmers of maize and other crops and  they built adobe and masonry homes both in the  

open and right into the sides of cliffs they were  a highly organized society with administrative  

offices religious centers and craft shops and  then if we move a little bit north to the great  

plains and the great basin regions we find not  sedentary folks but nomadic peoples and these  

regions were populated with hunter-gatherer-type  people who needed a lot of land to do said hunting  

and gathering because of the aridity of the  region a good example of this kind of people  

was the ute people who lived out this lifestyle in  small egalitarian kinship based bands and then if  

we head over to the pacific northwest we meet a  different kind of people all together the folks  

who lived over here lived by the sea and settled  themselves into fishing villages and they also  

relied on elk which they found in abundance  in their forests a good example is the chinook  

people and they made use of the great cedar trees  around them to construct giant plank houses which  

could house up to 70 members of the same kinship  band the chumash people lived on the coast but  

further south in present-day california and they  were actually still hunters and gatherers but  

they did live in permanent settlements which they  constructed in places where there was enough game  

and vegetation to support all their hunting  and gathering all right now let's head over to  

the mississippi river valley where we're going  to find much larger and more complex societies  

chiefly because the fertile soil surrounding  the rivers meant that societies could stay put  

and farm and develop i'll introduce you to two of  them first the hopewell people they lived in towns  

of about four thousand to six thousand people  and they traded extensively with other regions  

as far away as florida and the rocky mountain  also in that region we have the cahokia people  

who boasted the largest settlement in that region  and at its height the settlement counted somewhere  

between 10 and 30 000 people the government was  led by powerful chieftains who centralized the  

government and engaged in extensive trade networks  from the great lakes all the way down to the gulf  

of mexico and finally let me introduce you to some  folks living in the northeast of america namely  

the iroquois they lived in villages made up of  several hundred people where they grew crops like  

maize and squash and beans also like their pacific  northwest counterparts they built and lived in  

longhouses where they lived with anywhere between  30 and 50 of their family members all right that's  

what you need to know about unit one topic two of  ap us history if you need any help getting an a in  

at heimler's history then go ahead and subscribe  and i'll keep making videos for you heimler out