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Columbus reaches the Caribbean, marking the beginning of European contact with Indigenous peoples in the Americas. This starts an era of exploration and colonization. -
Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing newly "discovered" lands in the Americas between the two kingdoms, setting the stage for European expansion. -
Hernán Cortés leads an expedition that results in the fall of the Aztec Empire in Mexico. This conquest leads to Spanish control over the region and significant cultural and demographic changes. -
Francisco Pizarro and his forces conquer the Inca Empire in present-day Peru. The Spanish take control, exploiting the wealth and labor of Indigenous populations. -
Spain enacts the New Laws, aimed at improving the treatment of Indigenous people and limiting the abuses of the encomienda system. However, enforcement is inconsistent.