In modern times, North America is considered a land of freedom where people of all races live together in harmony. Discrimination based on skin color, ethnicity, gender and sexual preference is punishable by law. With these laws in place, one could argue that America was founded on the same foundations. Ironically, when European powers decided to bring North America under English rule, random acts of violence and discrimination were commonplace. While the conquest of America is considered to be based on liberty, equal rights and freedom, the facts suggest that it was based on European domination, the spread of religion, genocide and exploitation of slave labor. When the first waves of settlers arrived, they unwittingly brought disease with them, marking the beginning of the genocide of Native Americans. The Columbian Exchange is a process based on the exchange of goods, diseases, animals and merchandise, from Africa and Europe to America. . The spread of disease allowed the natives to die almost entirely while the settlers were immune. “In some areas, typhus, influenza, measles, and smallpox wiped out 90 percent of indigenous peoples by 1600” (Clark, p. 13). Although the exchange caused many casualties, it also stimulated foreign agricultural demand for tobacco. As the Native American population continued to decline, the English had an open opportunity to eradicate the remainder. While the Spanish and French sought to convert the Indians to Christianity, Virginia's settlers sought to exercise colonial rule. From a European perspective, the Indians were not using their land properly due to the lack of permanent buildings. Involuntarily, the English let their animals roam free, causing ...... middle of paper ......e were able to recover their economy. Although they were financially successful, the colonists also spread the ideology of European domination. Superiority was the eager engine of expansion, but it was only achievable through brute force, exploitation, and slavery. They wanted the world to know that they will not stop until their desires are satisfied, no matter the cost. Works Cited Taylor, Alan (2001) American Colonies: The Settling of North America. New York: Penguin. Jordan, Don and Michael Walsh (2008) White Cargo: The Forgotten History of White British Slaves in America. New York: NYU Press. Clark, Christopher et. al. (2008) Who Built America? Workers and the history of the nation. Volume One: to 1877. New York: Bedford St. Martin's. Selected Virginia statutes related to slavery http://www.virtualjamestown.org/slavelink.html