<P><B></B> This book provides a comparative perspective of the impact of early European colonization on the native peoples of the Americas. It covers the character of the indigenous cultures before contact, and then addresses the impact of—and creative ways in which they adapted to—the establishment of colonies by the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English. <B></B> Paying attention to environmental change, the book considers such issues as the nature of military conflicts, the cultural and material contributions of each side to the other, the importance of economic exchanges, and the demographic transformation. <B></B> For individuals interested in the history of colonial America, colonial Latin America, and the American Indian. </P>