Native American Exploration Research Paper

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European exploration impacted the whole world, but its effects are seen most clearly on Native American, Europeans and Africans. Even though the immense wealth from the America caused economic turmoil in Europe, Europeans were the major benefiters from this connection with the new world. Taking everything for themselves, Europeans took advantage of American land, gold, silver, crops, natural resources and drugs. New world crops, such as potato, squashes, pumpkin and beans, brought new varieties into the European diets. They saved Europeans from famines and gave them abundance of surpluses for their stocks and for sale. New world’s natural resources, such as timber, fur or flaxseed oil fueled European industries. Tobacco and other addictive…show more content…
In the Americas, Europeans took total social, political and economic control. Native Americans’ civilizations were destroyed by invasions while the Native American population was destroyed by diseases. Europeans saw Natives’ culture as barbaric and made effort to reinvent it. Native Americans were forced to assimilate to European culture. The Church was a big factor in this forced cultural change since missionaries were sent to the Americas to spread Christianity and educate indigenous children. Native Americans lost their cultural freedom and autonomy, and their discrimination is lasting until today. Turning to the extreme decrease in the Native American population, although violence and forced labors killed many, the population was mostly devastated by Old World diseases, such as malaria, small pox and measles. They did not possess immunity to these diseases due prolonged separations and differences in lifestyles (Native Americans didn’t live close to cattle like Europeans). As a result, most of the Native Americans were wiped out, leading many tribes to extinction. European exploration made devastating impacts on Native Americans, swiped out their civilizations and stripped them off their political and economic

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