Page 16 - Key to Social Studies 6

Let’s Observe Let’s Connect

Prominent Physical Features in North America North America before vs. after European Colonization

Mount McKinley North America before European Colonization

Named Mount Denali in 2015 by the United North America, before being a place for European settlers, was inhabited by hunters, farmers, and

States Department of the Interior, Mount travelers, who we call today Native Americans. The Native Americans were divided into tribes, and each

McKinley is the centerpiece of Denali tribe lived on its own and fought against other tribes and even sometimes spoke di erent languages.

National Park and Reserve in Alaska, USA.
North America after European Colonization
It is the highest mountain peak in North
The Europeans’ discovery of the New World, which is North America, was during what is called the Age of
America, with a summit elevation of
Discovery and Exploration.
6,190 m above sea level.
Britain, France, and Spain were the main countries that developed colonies in North America, till the
The mountain was called Mount McKinley
formation of the 13 British colonies, which later became the United States of America.
by a gold prospector, in support of William

McKinley, who was running for president at

th
the end of the 19 century. Mount Denali
Mount Denali in Denali National Park and
has two summits, with the southern one Reserve, Alaska, USA Native American

being higher than the one in the north.
Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the second-longest

river in North America and it comes from

Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. The river

was used by Native Americans in agriculture

and transportation, until the Europeans

arrived and used it as a border between

the city-states they formed. The river’s name
came from French origins and it means

“great river.”

The Mississippi River

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