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When the Europeans arrived in the New Land, there were about 10 million people populating America north of present-day Mexico. It is believed that the first Native Americans arrived during the last ice age, approximately 20,000 - 30,000 years ago through a land bridge across the Bering Sound, from northeastern Siberia into Alaska. The oldest documented Indian cultures in North America are Sandia (15000 BC), Clovis (12000 BC) and Folsom (8000 BC). Although it is believed that the Indians originated in Asia, few if any of them came from India. When Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492 he was welcomed by a brown-skinned people whose physical appearance confirmed to Columbus that he had at last reached India. Columbus mistakenly called the people Indos or Indians. The Europeans were met by Native Americans. The Natives regarded their light-complexioned visitors as something of a marvel, not only for their clothing, beards and winged ships but even more for their wonderful technology - steel knives and swords, fire-belching harquebus and cannon, mirrors, earrings, copper and brass kettles. However, conflicts eventually arose. The Europeans saw the land as space to be divided, a forest as boards of timber, and a beaver colony as pelts to sell. The ideas and beliefs of the native people and the new arrivals led to the conflict between the two cultures. 1. When did the first people arrive in America? 2. Why did the native people of the Americas become known as Indians? 3. Explain why the Europeans view of nature caused conflict with the native people. Use supporting evidence from the text. |