Intro to the Americas

Early people in the Americas built the beginnings of several complex civilizations.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Early people in the Americas built the beginnings of several complex civilizations.

There is not much variety in the climate in North and South America.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

North and South America feature a wide range of climates, from the harsh cold of the Arctic to the hot, humid Amazon rainforest.

Farming in the Americas began along the Amazon River.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Farming began in Mesoamerica and spread to other regions of the Americas.

Sinkholes were an important source of water for the Maya.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Sinkholes provided access to underground reservoirs of water that were important to Maya farmers.

The Olmec civilization only lasted a few years.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Olmec civilization lasted 800 years.

The earliest people in the Americas hunted while riding on horses.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Horses were not introduced to the Americas until the arrival of Europeans.

The Iroquois wrote the first constitution in what would become the United States.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Iroquois League created a constitution that was later written down.

The earliest Americans hunted large animals like woolly mammoths.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The earliest Americans were nomadic hunters who hunted large game animals such as mammoths.

Rice became the most important food in the Americas.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Maize (corn), not rice, became the most important food crop produced in the Americas.

The Inca built stone buildings known as pueblos.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Inca built stone buildings, but pueblos are southwestern buildings made from sun-dried brick.