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Christopher Columbus lands in the Bahamas. He becomes the first European to discover the Americas.
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On his second voyage, Columbus returns to the Americas with 17 ships, a few hundred soldiers, and 1,000+ settlers
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Bringing slaves to the Americas from Africa for labor was established. The African Slave Trade also promised huge enterprise.
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After many years of warring, and with the help of local natives who resented the Aztecs, superior weaponry, and disease the Europeans spread to the natives, Cortès was finally able to conquer the Aztec Empire.
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Funded by the King of Spain, Magellan's men cirumnavigated the world in three years, although Magellan himself died in a local war in the Philippines.
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Giovonni, serving for France, was actually looking for a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.
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After capturing the Empire's ruler, Atahualpa, the Spanish murdered him, although they were offered "two rooms of silver and one of gold" for their king by the Incas. The murder of their king sent the Inca empire into turmoil.
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Coronado's expedition led through present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
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The Encomienda, forced labor of the natives in the Americas, was abolished with the help of Christian missionaries from Spain.
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Cartier landed on the east coast of Canada and also discovered a river, which he named it "St. Lawrence". After following the river, he discovered a large island and named it "Mont Royal", which is now present-day Montreal.
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Fired by the Spanish and French, the King James ordered London investors to create a colony in the Americas.
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Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence river and discovered land that he named, "Quebec". However, the land was also known as "New France" because it became the base of France's across-seas empire.
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Henry Hudson, in service of the Netherlands, discovered many waterways around present-day New York. In 1621, the Dutch began colonizing in the Americas. Their holdings in North America became known as New Netherland.
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With permission from the English king Charles II, the Duke of York claimed New Amsterdam for England and renamed it "New York"
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As the English and French expanded their colonies in North America, the colonies began to interfere with eachother. The countries disputed over land claims in the Ohio Valley, which caused war. Finally, the British overcame the French in 1763 and forced them to give up most of their land holdings in North America.
