500 year ago, Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Americas" that was to change radically the lives of all indigenous Americans and shape their subsequent histories. In the second edition, the author details the clash of cultures and considers the impact of the exploration and conquest of America.

Roger Schlesinger received his Ph.D. at University of Illinois, Urbana. He teaches Renaissance and Reformation history at Washington State University. Professor Schlesinger has received several teaching awards, including the Burlington Northern Award for Excellence in Instruction (1990), the Mortar Board Distinguished Professor Award (1994), the Honors College Outstanding Faculty Award (1999), and The Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction 2003-04. His publications include André Thevet's North America: A Sixteenth Century View (1986), Portraits From the Age of Exploration (1993), In the Wake of Columbus: The Impact of the New World on Europe, 1492-1650 (1996, 2007), and Global Passages: Sources in World History (2003).