How did Europeans change life in the Americas

European settlement was devastating for the Native Americans. From the time the first Europeans came, the American Indians could never have imagined how negatively they would be affected by the Europeans. At first, Europeans brought diseases to which the American Indians had no immunity.

European ideas about owning land as private property clashed with natives’ understanding of land use. Native peoples did not believe in private ownership of land; instead, they viewed land as a resource to be held in common for the benefit of the group.