The first explorer who found America was Christopher Columbus. He thought that it was India in 1492. He returned to Europe with huge amounts of goods; that prompted many other Europeans to head to America. After that many Europeans traveled to the new world (America) looking for gold, better life, and freedom of religion. Many rich people came to America looking for gold, but many of them didn’t survive because they didn’t have the skills and they were rich so there was no need to learn how so survive in bad weather. The English middle class came to America to settle and start new lives on a new world hoping for better life. The cavaliers of the Virginia Company of London came to Jamestown, VA. in 1607 to do business in cash crops. After struggling to survive they eventually made good money with Tobacco. Some such as the Puritans of England left because of their freedom of religion. They did not want to be loyal to the Church of England. They landed in Mass. Bay Colony in 1620 and made a covenant of religious democracy known as the Mayflower Compact.
http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/exploration-of-north-america
This map sows part of the Colombian Exchange; the economic produce that Europe received from America:
1. tobacco
2. cotton
3. tomato
4. catfish
5. potato/sweet-potato
6. pumpkins/squash
7. pineapple
I believe that the exploration opened Europeans eyes to the New World. People from all the world continue to come to America looking for prosperity and freedom of religions. America gave many opportunities to people; especially the Europeans. America was the powerful resource to Europeans for over 200 years. Globalization is still a powerful force of world change. It has brought progress as well as inequality.
