| In the fifteenth century, southern Europeans, | | | | development prevailed among these Native |
| directed by the Portuguese, discovered and sailed | | | | Americans. The Han and Capoque were still in the |
| to the other side of the Atlantic. They wanted to | | | | Stone Age, while the slave-based city-states of |
| find the way to Asia via the sea. The America | | | | the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas rivaled the splendor |
| was discovered accidentally on the way to the | | | | of Europe. |
| Asia. | | | | The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán was a bustling |
| While the Portuguese were focusing first of all on | | | | metropolis. When Hernán Cortés first entered |
| Africa and Asia, the Spain government had great | | | | it the Spaniards were awestruck. It should be |
| ambitions to expand its territory and was focusing | | | | noted that the level of civilization of the people |
| on the America. | | | | was rather high. The Aztec civilization was on the |
| The arrival of European explorers to America | | | | top of its grandeur. Hundreds of native societies |
| began the most astounding meeting between | | | | existed when the Europeans arrived, all with their |
| cultures in the history of civilization. The English | | | | own languages and traditions. |
| and Spanish invaders had the greatest impact on | | | | The quote written by Michel de Montaigne fully |
| the further life of the natives. They transplanted | | | | describes what happened during the exploration |
| their cultures over vast territories and created | | | | and settlement of the Americas: "I think that |
| colonial empires from whose abundance Europe | | | | there is nothing neither barbaric nor savage in the |
| rose to dominate the world. Besides, they led | | | | customs of any particular nation, but rather that |
| independence wars against the Indians. | | | | each one calls savage that to which he is not |
| The native population at the time of first contact | | | | accustomed. As a mirror of truth and reason we |
| was as high as 110 million. About 25 million people | | | | have only the examples, the ideas, the opinions, |
| lived in the Valley of Mexico, another 6 million lived | | | | and the habits of the country from where we |
| in the Central Andes region, while the territory | | | | come". The Native Americans could not be |
| north of the Rio Grande was home to perhaps | | | | regarded as a savage for they had their own |
| another 10 million. A bewildering level of uneven | | | | culture and traditions. |