American History

The Paleolithic period was started in Africa where human beings came from over two million years ago. From there they migrated over to the regions of Europe and Asia. The first human beings were said to have been hunters and foragers finding nuts, berries, and other edible plants. Their main source of food, shelter, and warmth came from the hides of big mammals known as woolly mammoths. As the woolly mammoths migrated so did the people following there great source of food and clothing.

Some of the first hunters crossed what is now called the Bering Strait to Alaska. Migrating south from there, they found vast grasslands and mammals they had not seen before. The scene of the new lands brought unknown animals such as giant beavers, glyptodonts, deer, cheetahs, caribou, and horses. These animals being found in vast amounts brought many hunters. The Paleo-Indians hunted these great animals all the way down to the North Mexico. Eventually by the end of 8000 B.C.E the big mammals were extinct in North America. It is still in debate where the Paleo-Indians or the great change in the warming climate killed off the great mammals. Thus causing a great change in the way the first people of North America had to survive.

The end of big mammals brought an end to what is known as the Clovis culture. The descendants had changed their manor of survival by hunting smaller animals such as rabbits and smaller animals which initially were not worth the bother. Bison was another great source of food and clothing for the Indians found on the Great Plains. These great minded people had adapted to the seasonal changes that came into existence.

One of the most intriguing ventures of the Indians was their far ranging trade system. This allowed goods to be passed from one band of tribe to another. Allowing the Indians to stay in one place for longer periods of time. They had also found that sunflower seeds and sumpweed were edible. They were the first to domesticate...