Subject:
Patrick Swan Lathrop AP US History 14 August 2012 New World Beginnings The Shaping of North America Recorded history of the Western world began 6,000 years ago 500 years ago European explorers stumbled on the Americas 225 million years ago a supercontinent, called Pangaea, contained all the world?s dry land Pangaea then began to break apart and enormous chunks of land drifted away from each other Geological forces opened the Atlantic and Indian oceans, narrowed the Pacific Ocean, created the 5 continents, and created the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains 2 million years ago The Great Ice Age blanketed parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas When the glaciers retreated they left the North American landscape transformed and depressed the level of the Canadian Shield
