More facts

• Spain was the first European power to dominate the New World.
• Spain grew rich on plunder from the Aztec and Inca Empires.
• Spain used much of their wealth to facilitate religious wars in Europe.
• Africa experienced limited colonization before 1880 because it lacked suitable conditions for plantation systems.
• There was little cultivable land near the sea, which made large-scale plantations difficult.
• It was made up of well-organized states that refused to easily accept European control.
• Europeans had to treat West African rulers with respect because they controlled the supply of slaves for European colonies in the New World.