The "discovery of the Americas" is perhaps more accurately described as a collision of European and American peoples and cultures. This had profound long-term effects. It led to the exploration and colonization of both continents by Europeans, a process that proceeded along with the expropriation of lands from Native Americans. It also played a role in the rise of European powers, notably Spain and later England, whose power was derived in no small part from...
The "discovery of the Americas" is perhaps more accurately described as a collision of European and American peoples and cultures. This had profound long-term effects. It led to the exploration and colonization of both continents by Europeans, a process that proceeded along with the expropriation of lands from Native Americans. It also played a role in the rise of European powers, notably Spain and later England, whose power was derived in no small part from the wealth they extracted from their American empire. The colonies played a prominent role in European wars, especially between Britain and France, in the eighteenth century. Of course, in the long run, the major result of the "discovery" of the Americas was an event that nobody at the time could have foreseen--the rise of the nations of the Americas as independent countries.
At the time, though, the main significance of the event was what modern historians call the "Columbian Exchange." This was the exchange of animals, plants, and diseases between two continents separated by millions of years of evolution. The most striking and tragic aspect of this exchange was the exposure of Native Americans to European diseases like smallpox and typhus, to which they had no immunity. These diseases wiped out millions of people throughout the Americas, destroying ancient civilizations. Europeans also introduced animals like swine, chickens, cattle, and horses which were not native to the Americas. Meanwhile, maize, potatoes and other crops made their way to Europe.
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