Christopher Columbus

In 1492, Italian sailor Christopher Columbus, sent by Spain, arrived in the New World. This was a dramatic event for both the people who already lived in the Americas and for Europe. Native Americans fell [blank] to an immense plague of European diseases which weakened them in the face of armies led by Spanish conquistadors. Within a few decades, Spain conquered the Caribbean, the Aztec Empire of modern-day Mexico, and the Inca Empire stretching across the Andes. Native Americans [blank] enslaved and forced to work on plantations and mines. As a result, Spain grew rich and powerful. The other countries of Europe looked upon the success of Spain with envy. They quickly hired explorers of their own and sent them west in search of societies to conquer, gold to snatch, and perhaps even a route to Asia for a [blank] trade connection.