Cultures Collide begins its story with a mistake; but the mistake was made by Christopher Columbus. When Columbus sailed to find trade routes to Asia, he landed in the Americas instead, discovering a "new world." But this new world wasn't new to everyone. Native Americans had been living on this land for over 10,000 years and they were not particularly thrilled to see these newcomers arrive on their shores. As Europeans moved onto American soil, they needed to interact with and understand the Native Americans and their culture. The cultural groups were very different, but as soon as the two groups met they began to influence one another. Cultures Collide discusses this interaction and explains how both Europeans and Native Americans changed aspects of their lives, including housing, food, animals, and trade, as a result. For example, the Native Americans introduce Europeans to corn, buffalo, and turkeys, and Europeans introduced Americans to sugar, pigs, cattle, and sheep. The book also highlights the reintroduction of the horse to the Americas and its powerful effect on the Native American lifestyle. Sadly, not every interaction was positive. The collision of these two cultures also brought about war and the spread of disease and hunger. Cultures Collide demonstrates how the early contact between Native American and European cultures changed life in the Americas forever. Like the others in the series, Cultures Collide is illustrated with period paintings and drawings. Also included are a glossary and an index.
