Refers to the time period before Europeans arrived in North America and made sustained contact with indigenous peoples.
Related terms
Age of Exploration: The historical period during the 15th and 16th centuries when European explorers set out to discover new lands and sea routes.
Columbian Exchange: The global exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, plants, animals, and people between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas following Columbus' voyages.
Conquistadors: Spanish conquerors who sought wealth and power in the Americas through exploration and conquest.