European Interactions In The Atlantic World
European exploration voyages led to interaction between peoples in the Atlantic world. A triangle of interaction formed between Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Between 1492 and 1750, new contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas brought about economic changes such as new trading partners and new foreign foods, but social aspects such as the role of women remained the same. Before 1492, the Eastern and Western Hemispheres remained isolated from one another. In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out on a voyage in search of an alternate sea route to Eastern Asia and India, but unexpectedly landed in the Americas. When the Europeans came to Africa and the Americas, they established new sea trade routes. Triangle trade benefitted