C H A P T E R 4
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
EarlyPeople in
Pennsylvania
W
ith this chapter, we begin our
study of Pennsylvania’s history.
Our state has a rich treasure of
history. History is like a
timeline of
stories
. Stories have their facts and their
settings (the where and when of
geography).We must always remember that
there were humans involved with these
stories.We cannot tell all the stories. Butwe
can tell some of themore important ones.
Why do we study about history if the
events have happened? Your author has
always found human stories and events
interesting.He liked toput himself into the
roles that people played. He tried to feel
what the different people were feeling and
thinking. How would you like to fall into
an icy river and spend thenight freezingon
an island? GeorgeWashington did!
Peoplewhomakea livingout of studying
and teachinghistoryare called
historians
.
Historians tell us that all families
and cultures have a rich
heritage
. A
heritage deals with all the events of a
family’s or culture’s past generations. How
did people wind up in Pennsylvania? How
did we obtain our form of government?
Our freedoms and rights? What is your
family’s heritage?
It is easy to forget that Pennsylvaniawas
not always the way it is today. There were
people living in our state long ago.
Through time, Native Americans slowly
arrived inmany places inNorth and South
America. They had their way of life well
organized before any European settlers
arrived.We need to respect that therewere
many Native American tribes already here.
However, they are no longer here. Only by
studying about their locations and art
objects canweput together apuzzleof how
they lived. Itwas the European settlers that
upset theNative Americans’ way of life.
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Chapter 4
Native American village
