Final answer:
Christopher Columbus established the first European settlement in the New World on Hispaniola, left a group of men to explore and secure gold, took captive natives back to Spain, and spurred further European exploration efforts with his reports of potential wealth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Upon reaching Hispaniola in the early 1490s, Columbus and his crew undertook several actions. Firstly, they established a settlement called La Navidad and left thirty-nine men to secure this location. Columbus and his men also engaged with the local inhabitants, who were the Arawak people, also known as Taino natives.
Columbus, while initially received with a mix of welcome and hostility, eventually ended up taking some of the Arawak people as captives. Moreover, Columbus departed for Europe with these captives and the first samples of gold and other valuables, believing he had successfully reached the Asian mainland.
His reports upon returning to Spain included descriptions of a tropical paradise and the potential riches of the land, which ignited further interest in exploration and the notion of colonization.
In this period, the technological advancements and competitive nature of Europe were projected onto the New World, with the Spanish utilizing their superior weaponry and armor to gain dominance over the indigenous people.
Columbus's voyages paved the way for the wider European exploration and eventual colonization of the Americas, drastically altering the course of history for both continents involved.