Khan Academy: Us History: 1491 1607: Christopher Columbus

When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, he met the Taino people. In this video, Kim explores the consequences of Columbus's voyage for the Taino people, as well as the changes wrought in Europe by Spain's New World exploits. [10:18]

Columbus's voyage connected the Americas, Europe, and Africa in a web of exchange that transformed the environments of the Old World and the New World. [9:16]

The Spanish gained an early foothold in the colonies, quickly becoming the most powerful European power in the New World.

Take this five question quiz over the Native Americans and European exploration in the Americas.

European arrival in the Americas decimated both indigenous people and previously-flourishing ecosystems.

The Columbia exchange moved commodities, people, and diseases across the Atlantic.

A quick, five question quiz over the Columbian Exchange, Spanish conquest, and the Spanish Colonial system.

A quick comprehension check over Native American societies before European contact.

In this video, Kim discusses how mutual misunderstandings between Europeans and Native Americans often defined the early years of interaction and trade as each group sought to make sense of the other. [7:09]

The beginning of the Atlantic slave trade uprooted previously established societal norms in West Africa.