Flourishing North American Cultures

It was during the time period that Christ was born that the Anasazi Indians appeared in the Four Corners area which is the area where the boundaries of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet. For the over a thousand years the Anasazi thrived and built their homes into the side of cliffs. These cliff dwellings could only be reached by climbing and made for a great defense system against enemies; some dwellings reached five stories in height and contained hundreds of rooms. Many of the elaborate cliff dwellings and terraced apartment houses built of stone, mud, and wood that dot the Four Corners region still stand today and date back to about 9,000 CE., but the people who comprised this desert culture did not begin to settle into an agricultural lifestyle until around A.D. 400. The Anasazi, which is a Navajo word meaning “the ancient ones”, likely received corn, squash and beans, which are a prime source of protein, added to their diet and the knowledge to raise them from their southern neighbors in Mexico. Vegetable crops provided a reliable food source that made an increase in population possible and also allowed time for other interests such as religion, art, ritual, public works and handicrafts. This allowed the Anasazi society continued to evolve and progress. The ancient ones also possessed beans, a prime source of protein and new varieties of corn. Other innovations included the bow and arrow which eventually replaced spears and at least two varieties of dogs

The Iroquois Constitution purposes and principles reflect with the sociological function and rules of my household which will influence me when I become a parent. The Iroquois constitution is seen as a way to promote peace within the five nations. They demonstrated principles and purpose through always speaking the truth to a fellow nation, to not be easily hurt by criticism or angered, through always praising their Gods for the things they have, and to include anyone who agrees to the constitution, which connects to the sociological function. The rules of my household are similar in that we are to always be truthful, to always show appreciation for what we have, and to never let others affect one 's values. This will inspire me for when I become a parent. We will see how the purposes and principles of the Iroquois connect with the sociological function.

United States Americans have always learned about the constitution, but they don’t know everything about it. What most people don’t know is that the U.S Constitution is based off the Iroquois Constitution. The Iroquois is a group of Indians that were having conflict between their five nations; because of this they created a constitution to unite and give structure to their nations. Their constitution is mostly different than the U.S. Constitution, but there are a few similarities between the two.

Before the Spanish ship that changed it all, which arrived in the “New World” in 1492, there was a vast population of native people who had lived on this land for centuries prior. That ship, skippered by Christopher Columbus, raised arguably one of the most influential turning points in Native American and European history. It sparked the fire of cultural diffusion in the New World which profoundly impacted the Native American peoples and the European settlers.

constitution, they did however integrate other principles from the Iroquois Confederacy. Many people who helped with the creation of the U.S. Constitution, would also thoroughly study the Great Law of Peace, and the Iroquois society. Not only was Thomas Jefferson greatly associated with the chiefs of the Confederacy, but also a U.S. delegate, John Rutledge of South Carolina, would read aloud long sections of the Great Law of Peace to the many other drafters of the U.S. Constitution. America’s founding fathers were more directly inspired by listening to stories, visiting with the Iroquois leaders, and being able to witness the government in action. As a matter of fact, a few Iroquois chiefs attended the Continental Congress in 1776 during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. They would help the founding fathers construct a set of laws and guidelines that would help unite the 13 colonies, which was similar to their own

in the late 1200’s, within the span of one or two generations, they abandoned their

The Mississippian culture was composed of a series of urban settlements and villages linked together by a loose trading network The Mississippian culture flourished from 800-1600 AD. It encompassed the southern shores of the Great Lakes at Western New York and Western Pennsylvania in the Eastern Midwest, all the way into the south/southwest of the Mississippi Valley and into the Southeastern United States.

There are many similarities between the constitution and the principles of the Iroquois. Researchers Vine Deloraia, Bruce Johnson, and Donald Grind have found that the very foundation of both sets of principles mirror each other (Johansen 1998:79):

Nothing is more fundamental yet so important to the freedoms we enjoy as Americans as the United States Constitution, which guarantee our right to do and say as we please so long as it does no harm to anyone. The Iroquois Nation preamble is placed on perfect peace for the welfare of the people. Their focus was fighting for the liberty of the people. Among the Indian nations whose ancient seats were within the limits of our republic, the Iroquois have long continued to occupy the conspicuous position. Nations they now set forth upon the canvas of the Indian history prominent as for the wisdom of their civil institution of the federations. Only the Iroquois had a system that seemed to meet most of the demands espoused by the

From these various sources Johansen formulates the theory that tenets of the Iroquois Confederation directly influenced Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in their drafting of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. There are vague mentions of the Articles of Confederation and Declaration of Independence, but it is left up to the reader to connect the dots and figure for themselves the connections between the Iroquois Confederation and American democracy. American Indians, particularly those of the Iroquois Confederation, provided the founding fathers with many of the principles upon which American democracy is based. The Iroquois and their example of confederation

The Iroquois were both positively and negatively affected when colonists came to America. The Iroquois was a powerful nation that was made up of many tribes. The Iroquois were involved in a war with the French for many years. The relationship between the French and the Iroquois was not pleasant. When Queen Anne's war started The Iroquois shifted their support during the war with the English.

Although many people are ignorant of this fact, the United States Constitution is derived from the Iroquois's Great Binding Law. The Iroquois, also know as the Confederacy of Five Nations, are a Native American tribe which was formed when five warring tribes were brought together, with the help of  Dekanawida and Hiawatha, to promote peace. Before becoming allies, the five tribes were constantly fighting among themselves and competing for resources; the Great Binding Law created harmony, unity, and respect among the tribes. The recognition of Justice and individual liberty included in the Great Law exceeds that of many other doctrines. It is no surprise that the Founding Fathers based the United States Constitution off of the Great Law.

The Mississippian Period divided into Middle and Upper Mississippian Traditions and was from AD 900-1600. The two Tradtions were delineated because of the climate and its affect on how people inhabited the land. The Middle Mississippian Traditions had communities that surrounded plaza areas or mounds. They ate maize, beans, and squash. They collected wild foliage, hunted small and large game, and fished. The Upper Mississippian Tradition had a more permanent lifestyle formed around lakes and ravines. They gardened, hunted and collected plants.

Battle between European kingdoms incited to an eagerness for states and trading posts that may sustain the rising nations. This expansionism familiar Europeans with African and American social requests that had created over several years, and the social correspondence that took in the wake of starting contacts between these human headways fundamentally affected western history. American Societies first there was Paleo (Indians) Paleo Indians arrived some place in the scope of 12,000 to 14,000 years earlier and made due by pursuing sweeping preoccupation. As the distinctive items, and wherever cultivating ruled the economy, complex human progressions flourished. Horticulture was an essential key as of now fundamentally that is the place most the cash and nourishment supply originated from. Mesoamerican Civilizations Early municipal foundations created in what is by and

Mississippi joined the union in 1817 as the twentieth state of the United States of America. Mississippi get it name from the famous river that forms near the western border of Minnesota as Lake Itasca and ends to the bottom of Louisiana. Mississippi has a fertile area called the Mississippi Delta which is a floodplain meaning there’s a lot of luscious, rich and soft soil that’s fantastic for farming and harvesting. Some of the crops that grew in Mississippi was the cotton plants, bluegrass, and other things that natives have also brought from other parts of the continent. Cotton was sidereal