California Educator Credentialing Examinations (CBEST) English 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The significant advantage that European settlers had over native peoples in the Americas was their superior weaponry and disease resistance. European settlers arrived with firearms, cannons, and other advanced weaponry that greatly outmatched the traditional weapons used by Native Americans, such as bows and arrows. This technological superiority allowed European forces to conquer and exert control over large areas of land more effectively.

Moreover, the settlers brought with them diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, to which Native Americans had no previous exposure and, therefore, no immunity. This resulted in devastating epidemics that decimated indigenous populations, significantly weakening their ability to resist European encroachment.

While agricultural techniques and alliances with local tribes played roles in the dynamics of colonization, the combination of military technology and the catastrophic effects of introduced diseases were the primary factors enabling European settlers to dominate and colonize the Americas.