1. what were some characteristics of american indian cultures, and how and why did people move within the americas prior to contact with europeans?

American Indian cultures were not all the same before the arrival of Europeans. There were several thousand different tribes in the North American continent before the Europeans settled. However, there are some characteristics that many tribes possessed including:

1) Animism- This refers to a belief that all living things have a spirit. With this in mind, the American Indian cultures tried their best to protect, preserve, and cherish the resources provided by the land. These groups often associated a bad harvest with disrupting the spirits of nature.

2) Oral History- Many tribes focused on passing down their tribes history through story telling rather than writing systems.

3) Movement patterns- Many American Indian tribes were nomadic. This means that they moved constantly. This lifestyle was based around hunting large herd animals like buffalo.

in february 1787, congress decided that a convention should be convened to revise the articles of confederation, the nation’s first constitution. in may, 55 delegates came to philadelphia, and the constitutional convention began. debates erupted over representation in congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch. the debates continued through four hot and muggy months. but eventually the delegates reached compromises, and on september 17, they produced the u.s. constitution, replacing the articles with the governing document that has functioned effectively for more than 200 years.

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