How the First Peoples Arrived in the Americas
This Grade 5 history skill in IMPACT California Social Studies teaches how the first peoples arrived in the Americas during the last Ice Age roughly 20,000 years ago. Students learn that glaciers locked so much water that sea levels dropped, exposing a wide land bridge called Beringia connecting Asia to North America. Hunter-gatherer groups from Asia followed herds of large animals including mammoths across this land. Over many centuries, these early peoples migrated south through the continents, adapting to new environments and becoming the diverse first Americans.
Key Concepts
About 20,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age , much of the world's water was frozen into huge glaciers. This process uncovered a wide strip of land that connected Asia and North America. This land bridge is now called Beringia .
Groups of hunter gatherers from Asia followed herds of large animals, like mammoths, across this land. These people depended on hunting animals and gathering plants for their food.
Over many centuries, these early peoples migrated south. They spread throughout North and South America, adapting to new environments and becoming the first Americans.
Common Questions
How did the first people arrive in the Americas?
About 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, glaciers locked up so much water that sea levels dropped. This exposed a land bridge called Beringia connecting Asia and North America. Hunter-gatherer groups crossed this land while following herds of large animals like mammoths.
What was Beringia?
Beringia was a wide strip of exposed land that connected northeastern Asia to Alaska during the Ice Age. As glaciers melted and sea levels rose, it was covered by water and is now the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska.
Who were hunter-gatherers and how did they live?
Hunter-gatherers were people who did not farm but instead depended on hunting animals and gathering wild plants for food. The early peoples who crossed Beringia were hunter-gatherers who followed animal herds across the land bridge.
What animals did the first Americans hunt?
The early peoples followed and hunted large Ice Age animals, including mammoths, mastodons, and giant bison. These large animals provided food, hides for clothing, and bones for tools.
How did early peoples spread across North and South America?
After crossing into North America, groups gradually moved south over many centuries. As they spread into different regions, they adapted to new climates and environments, developing distinct cultures and ways of life that eventually produced the diverse Native American peoples.
What evidence do scientists use to study the first Americans?
Scientists study ancient artifacts like stone tools, animal bones with cut marks, and fossilized human remains. Archaeological sites across North and South America have provided evidence about migration routes and the timing of human arrival, though new discoveries continue to update the story.