What were the common characteristics of all Indian cultures in the new world and what were the important differences among them?

Answer 1

Many different Indian cultures developed in the Americas in the years after they were first peopled. These Indian civilizations had many similarities, and also many key differences. Many of the countless tribes built amazingly sophisticated civilizations, and these sophisticated cultures were all centered around corn. The development of agriculture was a key reason that the Native American tribes grew large and sophisticated. Maize, the Native American corn, was the staple crop of most Indian cultures, and the people built their lives around growing corn.

The civilizations, however, also had important differences. For example, the Pueblo peoples in the southwest built multistoried, terraced buildings to live in. Also, they developed a highly elaborate society, one that was incomparable to any other Indian society in America. The Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee used three sister farming to retain soil moisture, which allowed their population to expand. The Iroquois developed the political skills to maintain control over their neighbors, Europeans included, for many years. Mostly, the native people of America lived in small, scattered societies, which is the reason for their fairly easy demise by European explorers.