The Discovery of America

The Discovery of America refers to the period when Europeans, led by explorers like Christopher Columbus in 1492, reached the continent previously unknown to them. Columbus's voyages, sponsored by Spain, opened the way for widespread exploration and eventually colonization of the Americas. Although indigenous peoples had inhabited the land for thousands of years, Europeans' arrival marked the beginning of significant cultural, economic, and ecological changes, shaping modern history. This event is viewed as a pivotal moment that connected distant parts of the world, leading to exchanges of goods, ideas, and populations across continents.