European explorers came to explore the Western Hemisphere for several reasons: to find gold to gain power in Europe, to acquire other resources like food, metals and wood, and to gain new lands to expand their empires. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors significantly impacted Native Americans, changing their culture through the spread of European languages, religion, and way of life. Diseases devastated native civilizations, and the Columbian Exchange introduced new livestock, plants, diseases, and ideas throughout the Americas.