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The Europeans were not content to remain in Europe. During the colonial period, from 1492 to about 1800, the old and the new world interacted frequently, with the Europeans exploring and conquering areas in North America and Latin America. The two areas were dealt with in very different ways, with very different results. In Latin America, the various European countries created colonies by seizing control of land from the indigenous peoples and, in many cases, enslaving those peoples. Converting the peoples of these areas was a central factor, particularly for the Spanish. The colonies were exploited for their natural resources, including gold and silver, but were not granted any sort of independence. In North America, the British succeeded in taking control of the continent through a series of wars with the French and the Spanish, so that by 1763 most of North America was under British control. However, the colonies that the British held soon rebelled against the control of the mother country and succeeded in becoming independent. The American War for Independence influenced other independence and revolutionary movements, most notably the French Revolution. Despite their proclamations of equality for all, the new government of the United States continued to repress African slaves and the indigenous peoples.
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