Ships and the New World

In the Age of Discovery during the Early Modern period, European explorers, such as Cristopher Columbus, took advantage of key technological advancements made in ship building to find new trade routes to Asia. With Columbus’ discovery of the Americas, Europeans would rely on shipping to bring plants, animals, other Europeans, and slaves to the American colonies with disastrous affects in particular for the native peoples in the Americas and enslaved Africans. With the ability to travel-long distances and move large amounts of cargo, ships would prove important for European’s ability to establish their influence in the American colonies they built. Ultimately, the overcoming of natural barriers to long-distance sea travel through major improvements in ship technology allowed Europeans to become financially rich and globally dominant at the expense of the environment in the “New World”, indigenous peoples of the Americas, and Africans enslaved for labor