In the late 1400s, the Spanish and other Europeans began to explore the Americas. The Europeans conquered Native Americans and competed for colonies. In Africa, the slave trade and power struggles created an era of turbulence. Exploration and trade led to increased contact between the peoples of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. A global exchange of plants, animals, institutions, and ideas permanently affected people's lives around the world.
Various factors enabled the Spanish to conquer the Aztec and Incan empires.
Native American, African, and European traditions blended to form new cultures in the Americas.
France and England set up colonies and competed for dominance in North America.
As European powers established colonies in the Americas, the slave trade—and with it the entire international trade network—intensified.
European exploration and increased trade stimulated a global exchange, a commercial revolution, and other changes in Europe.