United States History Student Edition

This traditional Iroquois longhouse is located in Ontario, Canada. The exterior walls and the roof are made of tree bark attached to a wooden frame. The beds are placed along the walls to leave open floor space. Inferring Does the Iroquois longhouse appear to be a temporary or permanent shelter? Explain.

The Iroquois League is considered one model of democratic governance. In the Grand Council, no decision could be made unless the vote was unanimous. The formation of the Iroquois League succeeded in bringing about an extended era of peace among the five nations. The southeastern woodlands have a warmer climate than the eastern woodlands. Among the Native American groups of the Southeast were the Creek, the Cherokee, and the Chickasaw (CHIH•kuh•saw). Farming was essential for each of these groups. The Creek lived in loosely knit farming communities in the area that is now Georgia and Alabama. There they grew corn, squash, tobacco, and other crops. The Cherokee farmed in the mountains of what are now Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. The Chickasaw spread out across the Southeast, but most of their largest settlements were in present-day Mississippi, where they farmed the fertile river bottomlands. In whichever part of North America they lived, Native Americans developed rich cultures and

ways of living that were well suited to their environments. In the 1500s, however, a new people with vastly different cultures and ways of life landed in the Americas. The arrival of Europeans would change the Native Americans’ world forever. 7 CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING Summarizing Describe the Iroquois League and its significance. LESSON ACTIVITIES 1. Explanatory Writing Choose a people from three different regions of North America and explain how each adapted to the environment in which they lived. 2. Collaborating In the Iroquois League, any action by the Grand Council required unanimous agreement. Discuss with a group the advantages and disadvantages of this method for making decisions. Prepare to share an answer to this question: Why do you think the Iroquois League required unanimous agreement?

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