However, as European powers began to settle on American lands, initial treaties of peace between colonists and natives soon devolved into conflict. On the positive side, European arrival brought flora and fauna, religion, and social norms previously unknown to the natives, and from which many would benefit in the future. Throughout the two centuries following Columbus, a surge in European exploration and colonization led to a precipitous decline in the native population in a variety of ways, including unfamiliar and deadly diseases, violence, displacement, and enslavement. For the indigenous peoples who lived there, however, this historic discovery took a darker turn.
The New World promised exotic foods, untold riches, abundant resources, and the potential for new knowledge. A History of the Indigenous Peoples of America Exploration and ColonizationĬolumbus’ discovery of new land in the Western Hemisphere marked a turning point for European expansion.
