Exploration and Settlement
Although the Portuguese ushered in the age of European exploration in the earl
1400s, Spain, England, and France were the countries that explored and settled most of
the Americas. These Europeans encountered a rich variety of native cultures in the Ne
World, creating a mixture of cultures that has shaped American history.
EUROPEAN CONTACT WITH NORTH AMERICA
Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Caribbean in 1492 marked the beginning
of contact between Europeans and Native Americans. Soon, explorers, fishermen, and
traders began making contact from Canada down through South America. When the
Europeans first arrived, millions of Native Americans were living on the land, in small
villages and in large cities such as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, the site of present-
day Mexico City. People had been living in the Americas for many thousands of years,
adapting to its diverse environments. At first, Native Americans were generally helpfu
to the Europeans. Before long, however, it became clear that the newcomers intended t
take control of their land. And the firearms were not their most dangerous weapons: th
settlers brought new diseases that killed millions.
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