First Civilizations (North American Empires)

The first civilizations in the world developed along the Mississippi River in North America in 5000 BC. These civilizations started from early farming villages and settlements that had begun around 3000 years ago. The first of these civilizations was Mawakpa.

Mawakpa
The first recorded civilization in North America was Mawakpa. The name is a shortened version of Makoce Wakpa, meaning "Land of Rivers" in their native language. Mawakpa evolved out of farming villages located at the meeting of the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers. The farms revolved around the production beans and squash, the two main crops and the usual food in a Mawakpan meal. Huge farms existed around the city's walls, providing Mawakpa with all its food. The farms were handled by slaves and workers, who were among the lower levels of society. The three main cities, Mitawa (Mining City), Makoce (Earth City), and Wiyohiya Pata (East City) were all connected and served by these massive farms. Herding was also used, with larged herds or cattle and goats roaming the areas outside of the farms. This gave the nation a regular supply of meat, skins, and milk.

Surrounding each city was a large wall to protect from animals and other tribes who dared attack the nation. In the heart of the city was a Tipi Waka (Temple) dedicated to the gods and goddesses of their religion. Community and religious meetings would take place inside the Tipi Waka. Outside the temple would be the ruler's palace, and Makoce harbored the king of Mawakpa's palace. Surrounding these would be members of the ruler's government, such as advisors. Surrouding them would be the buildings of everybody else in the city, though merchants often set up shop near the Tipi Waka.