Culture of North America
The culture of North America refers to the arts and other manifestations of human activities and achievements from the continent of North America. The specifics are unknown, but between 40,000 and 16,500 years ago, the melting of the ice sheets formed in the Last Glacial Maximum allowed Paleo-Indian peoples to migrate into the North American continent, eventually diversifying and giving rise to such civilizations as the Aztec Empire or the Mound Builders, among others. However, due to the colonization of the americas by Europe, and along with mass immigration from European nations since the 17th century, North American culture saw an increasing amount of influence from Western culture, almost overwhelming the native peoples through genocide, displacement and cultural dominance. The resultant mix of Western and native customs would form what is now called North American culture.