ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Longhouse

A longhouse is a big house that people used to live in a long time ago. They were built by some Native American tribes and other groups of people who traveled a lot. Longhouses were usually made out of wood and they were very long and narrow with a pointed roof.

Think of a longhouse like a really long train car that lots of people could live in. It was like lots of little rooms connected together in a big line. It could be up to 100 feet long and hold more than 50 people at a time!

The people who lived in longhouses were usually families or groups of families who were part of the same tribe. They used to hunt and fish and farm for their food, and the longhouse was the perfect place for them to live because it could hold everyone and their belongings.

Inside a longhouse, there would be a fire pit in the center where they could cook food and keep warm during cold nights. They also had beds and storage areas to store their belongings.

Overall, a longhouse was a really important structure for Native American tribes and other groups of people because it provided a safe and warm place for them to live and grow their families.