During the fifteenth-nineteenth centuries new explorers from Spain reached the new world, with various reasons,but the main goal was to establish new trading routes to Asia. These explorers were called conquistadors.Their explorations lead to many settlements around the southwestern United States, South America, and predominantly Central America

During the Spanish conquests they encountered many tribes in the central region including the Aztec empire (discovered in 1519 by Hernando Cortes),and the Inca empire (discovered by Fransisco Pizarro in 1527). When an area was under control the conquistadors would establish trade or convert the Indians to Catholicism. The infamous Colombian Trade was known for during this time. The trade consisted of Americas exchange in corn, potatoes, peppers and many other crops, while the Europeans ported in pigs, cows, slaves, citrus, and diseases(that nearly killed out most of the population, roughly 25.3 million to 1 million).Even though the conquests were for a better trade route, the Europeans had know clue how they would change and effect the Americas.