Life in the New Colonies

As Europeans looked for new trading routes and territories during the Age of Discovery, they came into contact with parts of the world that were new to them. This had a dramatic effect on local economies and governments. As Europeans began to discover new territories, they established colonies, which are foreign territories controlled by a parent country. Initially, the European colonial powers used most of the new territories as a source of raw materials and a place to grow cash crops. The Europeans colonized parts of Asia as well as the Americas. India, the Indies, and the islands in southeastern Asia, and China were all colonized to some extent by Europeans.

The Impact of the European Age of Discovery

In this interactivity, examine the impact that the colonies had for both the Europeans and the indigenous populations of the New World. Click the player to begin.

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European Colonization Review

See how well you can identify the impact of European exploration on the rest of the world in this non-graded interactivity. Click the player to get started.