A long time ago, people in Europe wondered what was across the big ocean.

Sailors learned to use better ships and maps to travel farther.

Countries like Spain, Portugal, France, and England sent explorers to find new lands.

Explorers wanted treasure, new trade routes, and new places to claim.

Sailors traveled for many weeks across the wide Atlantic Ocean.

The explorers finally reached a land we now call America.

Many Native American groups lived in America long before Europeans arrived.

Europeans and Native Americans traded food, tools, and ideas.

New diseases from Europe made many Native Americans very sick.

More people from Europe came to live in America and build colonies.

Some workers came from Europe and worked for a few years to earn freedom.