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The first settlers in America were Native Americans, or American Indians.  Their origin is not known.  Some claim they migrated from Asia, but that makes little sense because American Indians are very different in many ways from Chinese and Asian Indians.  Even their blood types are typically different.   

The first settlers in America were Native Americans, or American Indians.  Their origin is not known.  Some claim they migrated from Asia, but that makes little sense because American Indians are very different in many ways from Chinese and Asian Indians.  Even their blood types are typically different.   

Some old mounds reflecting Indian settlements in America have been discovered, such as the Adena burial mounds and Mississippian platform towns.<ref>Melissa L. Meyer, Dean R. Snow, Charles L. Cohen, Russell Thornton, Donald A. Grinde Jr., Leah Dilworth "Indian History and Culture"  The Oxford Companion to United States History. Paul S. Boyer, ed. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  University of Tampa.  4 August 2008  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t119.e0758-s0002></ref>  For example, the [[Cahokia Mounds]] in Southern Illinois (just east of [[St. Louis]]) reflect an Indian community dating back as early as A.D. 1000 or 1100.<ref>http://www.cahokiamounds.com/mystery_01.html</ref>  That community practiced human sacrifice, as did the [[Aztecs]] and [[Mayans]] in [[Mesoamerica]] (Mexico and Central America) and the [[Incas]] in [[South America]] prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

Some old mounds reflecting Indian settlements in America have been discovered, such as the Adena burial mounds and Mississippian platform towns.<ref>Melissa L. Meyer, Dean R. Snow, Charles L. Cohen, Russell Thornton, Donald A. Grinde Jr., Leah Dilworth "Indian History and Culture"  The Oxford Companion to United States History. Paul S. Boyer, ed. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  University of Tampa.  4 August 2008  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t119.e0758-s0002></ref>  The [[Cahokia Mounds]] in Southern Illinois (just east of [[St. Louis]]) reflect an Indian community dating back as early as A.D. 1000 or 1100.<ref>http://www.cahokiamounds.com/mystery_01.html</ref>  That community practiced human sacrifice, as did the [[Aztecs]] and [[Mayans]] in [[Mesoamerica]] (Mexico and Central America) and the [[Incas]] in [[South America]] prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

The American Indians were [[nomads]] who traveled across wide areas.  They did not read and write, and they lacked a monetary system.  They were organized by tribes and some had simple forms of government.  There was the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] that united some, but typically there was a lack of unity that led to their easy defeat by Europeans.  The Indians did introduce [[tobacco]] and [[corn]] to Europeans, and they became widely popular back in Europe.

The American Indians were [[nomads]] who traveled across wide areas.  They did not read and write, and they lacked a monetary system.  They were organized by tribes and some had very simple forms of government.  There was the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] that united some Indians, but typically there was a lack of unity that led to their easy defeat by Europeans.  The Indians did introduce [[tobacco]] and [[corn]] to Europeans, and they became widely popular back in Europe.

Textbooks written after 1970 began claiming that around A.D. 1000, the Scandinavian [[Leif Ericson]] established a small colony at [[Vinland]], where the present [[Newfoundland]] is (north of Maine).  But there is very little evidence that such a colony existed, and no explanation for what happened to it.  It did not last long even if it did exist, and there is no sign of any Viking colony in what is now the United States.<ref>"People have been looking hard for hundreds of years and there is no archaeological evidence in this part [New England]— it's certainly possible, the Vikings were incredible boat handlers — '''but there is no evidence'''," observed one university history professor.[http://farshores.org/a04viki.htm]</ref>.

Textbooks written after 1970 began claiming that around A.D. 1000 the Scandinavian [[Leif Ericson]] established a small colony at [[Vinland]], where the present [[Newfoundland]] is (north of Maine).  But there is little evidence that such a colony existed, and no explanation for what happened to it.  It did not last long even if it did exist, and there is no sign of any Viking colony in what is now the United States.<ref>"People have been looking hard for hundreds of years and there is no archaeological evidence in this part [New England]— it's certainly possible, the Vikings were incredible boat handlers — '''but there is no evidence'''," observed one university history professor.[http://farshores.org/a04viki.htm]</ref>.

'''Debate: Did the Vikings settle in North America before Columbus?'''

'''Debate: Did the Vikings settle in North America before Columbus?'''

'''Exam note''': there are no more than one or two questions about the Pre-Columbian period on any American history exam.

'''Exam note''': there are no more than one or two questions about the Pre-Columbian (prior to Christopher Columbus) period on any American history exam.

== Exploration (Columbian Period) ==

== Exploration (Columbian Period) ==