HISTORY HOMEWORK HELP
History Homework Help
HOW OLD IS THE UNITED STATES?
It depends on who you ask.The USA (that part of North America that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and shares land borders with Canada and Mexico) was founded by 13 colonies that declared their independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. They called themselves "The United States of America," and were recognized by Britain as sovereign states in 1783. Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to arrive in what is now the United States. They were among the second expedition of Christopher Columbus, which reached Puerto Rico in 1493. Members of another expedition reached Florida in 1513. By 1540, the Spanish exploration had spanned much of the United States, including the Great Plains regions and parts of Arizona. The first European settlement on American soil was in what is now St. Augustine Florida. A small group of Spanish explorers settled there in 1565. Much larger Spanish settlements appeared soon after. These included Santa Fe and Albuquerque (New Mexico), San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco (California), San Antonio Texas and Tucson Arizona. Politically speaking, the United States recently celebrated its 235th birthday. But long before Europeans colonized the American landscape, various indigenous tribes lived for many centuries in what is now known as the USA. These tribes had occupied the area for thousands of years. Historians like to say that indigenous tribes have been around "since prehistoric times." But in the case of American tribes, "prehistoric times" was only about three hundred years ago. Native American tribes of the north and west are believed to have migrated from places like Mongolia and other Eurasian continents, about eight thousand years ago. They are said to have crossed the Bering Strait, traveled through Alaska and trekked across part of Canada to get here. Today there are hundreds of Indian reservations and Federally recognized Native American tribes throughout the United States. The image to your right depicts Taos Pueblo in northern New Mexico. It's the oldest continually inhabited community in America, occupied for over a thousand years.
AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES
|