Spanish Explorers in America

Corn or maize is a very diverse species of grass native to the Americas that has been grown for millennia by native cultures. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times, and spread through much of the Americas in pre-Columbian times.

Unexpectedly, among the most important resources Europeans found in the New World were the new crops of corn and potatoes. These crops and other foods indigenous to the Americas, such as beans, tomatoes, and peanuts were brought to Europe and Africa by travelers who had visited the Americas. Because they were cheap, easy-to-grow basic foods full of essential vitamins, they soon became important foods for areas that had nothing like them.

What the Europeans brought to the peoples of America included horses, pigs and cows and plants such as wheat and sugarcane. What the peoples of the New World did not welcome was European diseases such as smallpox – causing epidemics, killing thousands.

The line of demarcation set in 1494 is called the Linea de Tordesillas.

The Treaty of Tordesillas that established a line of demarcation would be observed fairly well by Spain and Portugal, despite considerable ignorance as to the geography of the New World. However, the treaty omitted all of the other European powers.

Those countries generally ignored the treaty. By the end of the century, other nations were laying claim to the great North American territories and Spain's hold dwindled, although it remained strong in South America. New Spain continued to dominate the American territories for centuries in spite of challenges arising from other empires, especially those of England and Holland. Even after the American Revolution, Spain still occupied all of the land west of the Mississippi as well as the territory of Mexico and into Central America and into South America.