From the local monuments, some of which, as the enclosures and other mural works, are yet to be described, we learn much in regard to the people by whom they were built. The builders of the Cahokia group, which includes the giant mound of its type, also of the Etowah group in northeastern Georgia, and the Rich Woods cluster of southeast Missouri, must have been sedentary or at least substantially so, depending to a large extent upon the cultivation of the soil for subsistence. –W. J. McGee and Cyrus Thomas Prehistoric North America (1905) Based on the excerpt, which best explains the development of permanent and semi-permanent American Indian settlements from the Mississippi River to the East Coast? Increased contact with neighboring communities due to the domestication of the horse enabled regional tribes to rely more heavily on trade for food and other goods; permanent settlements facilitated trade. Development of farming methods and domestication of crops and animals enabled a reduction in dependence on hunting and gathering for food; greater dependence on agriculture reduced the need to follow herds of wild game. Threats of raids by more militaristic tribes during times of prosperity prompted small kin-based groups to ally with one another for mutual protection; these small groups built larger communities to combine resources and deter attack. The religious beliefs of some local cultures revealed certain sites to be sacred places, where leaders were interred at the end of their lives; these sacred sites were built upon and maintained by the community, leading to permanent settlement.

the triple alliance. germany and austria-hungary were already allies by 1879 when, worried about a threat from russia, they formed the dual alliance. italy joined the group in 1882. there was a concern about a possible attack from france and the alliance needed powerful friends to defend it.

barrio is a spanish word meaning neighborhood. in spain, several latin american countries and the philippines, the term is also used officially to denote a division of a municipality while a ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, typically as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure. the term may have originally been used in venice to describe the part of the city to which jews were restricted and segregated.

the united states constitution defines the structure of the national government and dictates the scope and limitation of its powers. the constitution is known as “the supreme law of the land” and all other laws are measured against it. the application of the articles and amendments of the constitution comprise constitutional law.

in addition to the united states constitution, each state has its own constitution and therefore, its own body of constitutional law as well. state constitutions resemble the federal constitution in that they outline the state government’s structure of legislative, executive and judicial branches as well as contain a bill of rights.

but there are various ways state constitutions differ from the federal constitution. often, state constitutions are much longer and more detailed than the federal constitution. state constitutions focus more on limiting rather than granting power since its general authority has already been established. as a result, the constitution of alabama is six hundred pages long whereas the federal constitution can be easily read in one sitting front to back.

the details in state constitutions are not particularly “constitutional” in nature. they often address topics unique to the state. the federal constitution can only be amended through a lengthy process designed to limit changes to this fundamental document. as a result, it has only been amended seventeen times since the adoption of the bill of rights in 1791.

state constitutions are more open to amendments. amendments can be proposed by legislature, a constitutional commission or citizens’ petition and can be accepted by referendum.   for example. the constitution of massachusetts has been amended one hundred and twenty times. the constitution of georgia has even been replaced altogether as many as ten times.