Final answer:
In the New World, European colonization led by Spain, France, and England targeted wealth and resources, often harming indigenous populations and the environment. The labor shortage due to resistance and negative impacts of colonization prompted the European turn to African slave trade. This exploitation embedded in international commerce, evolved over time, continuing to affect native populations and the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
European Colonization and Exploitation in the New World
The age of exploration and colonization of the New World by Europeans was driven by the desire for wealth, territorial expansion, and the spread of religious ideologies. Early European powers, including Spain, France, and England, embarked upon expeditions seeking precious metals and other resources, often at the expense of the native peoples and environments they encountered. The Spanish Encomienda system, in particular, sought to regulate the labor of Indigenous people in the Americas for the benefit of the colonists.
Resistance from the American Indians and consequences of colonization such as war, disease, and famine led to a labor shortage which eventually turned European attention towards Africa to meet manpower needs through the slave trade. With time, Europeans established settlements that thrived by engaging in international commerce, further embedding the exploitation of both land and people in the global economy. This led to long-lasting environmental damage and the disenfranchisement of native populations.
As history progressed, the initial wealth grab by Spanish conquistadors in the region transferred to deals with international corporations and the Mestizo landowners, continuing a legacy of exploitation. The indigenous populations, long using the land as hunting grounds, faced violent confrontations and battles for control over their ancestral territories. This struggle for power and resources remains a crucial aspect of political discourse in the present day.