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| Mayan Temple |
With the discovery of America, many Europeans moved and settled in this new found land. Surprisingly, there were millions of native Americans already living here! Three great native American societies in Central and South America were highly advanced in both government and technology - the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas.
Mayan society was in decline when Spanish explorers first came into contact with them. The Aztecs and the Incas however, were in their golden ages - a time of great prosperity and innovation. Within several years, Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) had overthrown the rulers of both the Aztecs and the Incas - and diseases had killed millions of natives who had no resistance to European diseases.
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| Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan |
This new-found land became an opportunity for many Europeans to settle in and exploit both its natural resources and the people living there. Superior technology enabled Europeans to overcome resistance and establish forts, settlements, towns and missions in the New World. While the English and French focused their attention to North America, Spain and Portugal focused on Central and South America as well as the west coast of North America.
The new world view was much different than that of the old world, and as a result, life - and history - would never be the same. The next several hundred years of history, including our own, has been greatly influenced by the discovery of the Americas, and has resulted in ideals of democracy and freedom that are so cherished by many Americans today.
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| The Americas |
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