1. Age of discovery: Spain

2. 15th century Spain began to settle the Caribbean islands and conquistadors soon toppled native empires such as the Aztecs and Incas on mainland America Later expeditions established an empire that stretched from present-day Canada in North America to Tierra del Fuego in South America Established links with Africa, Asia, and the Americas in search for an alternative trade route to Asia, moved by the trade of gold, silver, and spices France, England, and the Netherlands soon followed Spain’s example of exploration

3. Contact Contact between the old and new worlds produced the Columbian Exchange, a transfer of unique goods from one hemisphere to another Europeans brought cattle, horses, and sheep to the New World, and in return received tobacco, potatoes, and bananas The new trans-oceanic links and their domination by the European powers led to the age of Imperialism, a time when European colonial powers came to control most of the planet

4. North American Natives There were many conflicts between Europeans and Natives The Europeans had many advantages over the Natives (diseases that wiped out 50-90% of their population) Europeans also came to garner gunpowder and more technologically advanced equipment and transportation