Which impact did European exploration have on civilization in the Americas?

European exploration would have a dramatic impact on civilizations in the Americas.  The invasions of the conquistadors brought down the Aztec and Incan Empires.  European diseases wiped out millions of Native Americans, and early attempts at converting the natives usually ended with the holy books and shrines of the natives being destroyed.  In time, some native groups even found themselves as slaves to the European invaders.  

There were some cultural exchanges between European explorers and...

European exploration would have a dramatic impact on civilizations in the Americas.  The invasions of the conquistadors brought down the Aztec and Incan Empires.  European diseases wiped out millions of Native Americans, and early attempts at converting the natives usually ended with the holy books and shrines of the natives being destroyed.  In time, some native groups even found themselves as slaves to the European invaders.  

There were some cultural exchanges between European explorers and Native Americans.  Native Americans acquired horses from the Spanish and this allowed the Lakota, Comanche, and several other Plains tribes to hunt the buffalo easier.  Native Americans made use of European iron implements such as knives, and European guns became a much-prized trading commodity.  In many areas, Europeans intermarried with native tribes in order to find companionship, as well as to become closer to the tribe.  The offspring from these unions went on to become intermediaries between native and European culture.