United States History Student Edition

Understanding the Time and Place: North America, Prehistory–1492

North America is a continent with a wide variety of landscapes and environments. The continent has deserts, wetlands, snow-covered mountains, and areas that are frozen much of the year. Across North America, the first peoples, the Native Americans, found ways to adapt to the environments and use the resources they found.

The North The region, including the arctic and sub-arctic area that is now Alaska, northern Canada (Nunavut), and Greenland, is cold. Some areas have ice and snow year-round, and much of the land is permafrost, or soil that remains frozen for long periods. The permafrost supports limited vegetation, especially in winter. During the summer, the top layer of soil thaws, and shallow lakes and ponds form. Lichens, mosses, and succulents grow in the shallow waters and provide food for caribou and musk ox. Seals, walruses, and whales are common in northern waters. Those waters also contain abundant varieties of fish and other forms of marine animals that serve as food. The West The North American West is a large, widely varied area, extending from the Pacific Ocean to the massive Rocky Mountains—the largest mountain chain in North America. A number of different landscapes can be found within this area. The Pacific Northwest is home to temperate rain forests that can receive more than 150 inches of rain each year. Tall Douglas fir and Sitka spruce trees fill the area’s forests, and numerous edible wild plants are available for gathering. The region’s seas and rivers offer abundant fish resources, especially salmon. To the south, in what is today California, the geography is diverse. Ocean coastlines give way to mountains and plateaus with high deserts. Plants and trees provide food sources. Coasts and rivers also serve as food sources. Slightly inland and between mountain ranges are the Great Basin and Plateau regions. The Great Basin is a generally dry area. Piñon, or pine nuts, and seeds are available for gathering, and small game can be hunted. The Plateau region is less dry and more mountainous. Salmon and other fish are plentiful in the rivers there. A number of game animals are available in the region.

The Southwest The Southwest is a desert region that includes parts of the present-day states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico. This region is a dry land dominated by the high desert Colorado Plateau. The plateau is anything but flat, with mountains and gorges, buttes and mesas, and archaic lava flows. Pronghorn antelope can be found in the grasslands in the lower areas of the plateau. A variety of animals, including mule deer and rabbits, live in the higher areas. River systems— the Colorado-Gila in the west and the Pecos-Rio Grande in the east—support rich biomes including deer and fish. Away from the rivers, however, animal life is sparse, and vegetation includes desert plant species like yucca, saguaro cactus, and mesquite. The Great Plains The Great Plains are found in the middle of the continent. The region slopes gently down from the base of the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River, and extends from the Gulf Coast north to the Arctic. The area has cold winters and warm summers. Short- and tallgrass prairies cover the region, with a few river valleys providing woodlands. Bison, antelope, deer, and smaller mammals thrive on the prairies. The East The eastern region includes the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coastal plain. Between the mountains and the coastal plain are the rolling hills of the Piedmont or foothill region. The Southeast and Northeast parts of the region have different characteristics. The Southeast has a generally warm, humid climate. The coastal plain here has wide, slow- moving rivers. East of the mountains, the southeast woodlands offer flat land and relatively warm weather that make it excellent for farming. Marshes and wetlands, or areas of land saturated

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