itime ▁route ▁from ▁Portugal ▁to ▁India . ▁So on , ▁after ▁Pedro ▁Ál var es ▁Cab ral ▁reaching ▁Brazil ▁( 1 5 0 0 ), ▁expl or ations ▁proceed ▁to ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁having ▁sent ▁the ▁first ▁direct ▁European ▁mar itime ▁trade ▁and ▁diplom atic ▁miss ions ▁to ▁M ing ▁China ▁and ▁to ▁Japan ▁( 1 5 4 2 ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 4 9 2 , ▁when ▁a ▁Spanish ▁expedition ▁head ed ▁by ▁Gen o ese ▁expl orer ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁sa iled ▁west ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁new ▁trade ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁but ▁in ad vert ently ▁found ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁Columb us ' s ▁first ▁two ▁voy ages ▁( 1 4 9 2 – 9 3 ) ▁reached ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁and ▁various ▁Car ib bean ▁islands , ▁including ▁His p ani ola , ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁and ▁Cuba . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁cart ograph er ▁and ▁expl orer ▁Juan ▁de ▁la ▁C osa ▁sa iled ▁with ▁Columb us . ▁He ▁created ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁cart ographic ▁representations ▁showing ▁both ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁The ▁post - 1 4 9 2 ▁era ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Columb ian ▁Exchange , ▁a ▁dram atically ▁w ides p read ▁exchange ▁of ▁animals , ▁plants , ▁culture , ▁human ▁populations ▁( including ▁slaves ), ▁communic able ▁disease , ▁and ▁ideas ▁between ▁the ▁American ▁and ▁Af ro - E uras ian ▁hem is pher es ▁following ▁the ▁Vo y ages ▁of ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁to ▁the ▁Amer