Captivating History - The Americas: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Continents of North and South America, Starting from the Olmecs through the Maya and Aztecs to European Colonization and Independence Movements

The one-character trait that sometimes surpasses the human instinct for survival is curiosity. When humans discovered an entire hemisphere that lay beyond their own Eastern Hemisphere, the race was on.

What opportunities would these new lands hold? Surely, a small country in Europe could wield the power of an empire if it could claim these new lands in the Americas. After all, there was new fertile land in these Americas, the lure of wealth, the entertainment of exciting wildlife, productive vegetation, and the marvelous treasures that shone and glittered. So daily do I send these praises coming forth in the garb of our ancestors: I shine; I glitter, prayed the ancients. The cry for gold overcame all the peoples mortal fears. It echoed in 1528 in the search for the ethereal El Dorado, in 1632 in Venezuela, and in the frigid Yukon in 1896.

The countries came and claimed and clashed as they tried to mix and meld. Instead, they found themselves caught in the dialectic of opposing sides, caught in a game of tug-of-war over acres of plains and pampas, sand and stones, mountains and mesas.

It was the rush of civilizations. In 1494, two headstrong countriesPortugal and Spaindivided up this grand New World between them with a ludicrous agreement called the Treaty of Tordesillas. It was ignored by the French, the Dutch, and the English. The indigenous tribes, who had controlled the lands before the Europeans descended upon them, looked upon the intruders first as visitors, then disease carriers, and then enemies of the lands that they insisted were their right to own. Settlements and civilizations rose and fell, like the Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Aztecs of Mexico, the conquistadors of old, and the masked warriors who made greed their motive.

The Americas is a collage of differences and similarities. Civilizations, like the waves at the shore, will ebb and flow throughout history. They might rise and fall, but more often than not, they will not fall without leaving behind their legacies, upon which life is built.

You will see in these pages that history may repeat itself, but there is always progress and change. Like the sun that always rises, there will always be new days where the indomitable spirit of humankind surpasses its own dreams. This is shown in the story of the people who lived and ventured to the Americas.

This story is massive, and for that reason, it is important to note that not everything can be covered. Many events that deserve an entire book on their own will be given a brief summary. However, this book is a great way to whet your appetite for more information, and hopefully, you will be able to do further research on the topics that pique your interest. The book first touches upon the major ancient civilizations of Mexico and South America before being divided into sections on South and North America. The information, for the most part, is told chronologically in their respective sections for easier readability.