Instructions
Part 1: Think back to the video segments and answer the following questions:
Please view the video before completing the assignment. View the video here: America Before Columbus
Make a comparison of the population demographics in the New World compared to what was seen in Europe pre-conquest.
What are the resources available to Native Populations in the New World opposed to Europe and what access does the general population have to these resources?
After watching this video, list what ethnocentric views existed in Europe that would affect most interactions with native populations on conquest.
Part 2: Map Assignment of Native People
Pre-work
Investigate: What is the difference between a physical and a political map?
Locate this physical map of the United States and examine it carefully, making note of the mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, and deserts.
http://www.freeworldmaps.net/northamerica/united-states/map.html
Look at the Map “Native Peoples” (c 1500)
Click on the map to enlarge it until it fills your screen
Study the map and carefully note the Cultural Groups and Trade Routes.
Answer the following questions:
According to the map, which of the cultural groups would have engaged in agriculture?
Did most trade routes run North/South or East/West? What is the most plausible explanation for this?
On the eve of European contact, Native American tribes spread across the North American continent and encompassed a range of different cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. Trade goods exchanged among these diverse groups furnished avenues of communication across the continent. According to this map, which geographic features presented barriers to trade? Which geographic features would have facilitated trade?
