Europeans colonized much of America because they saw the land they had as a place where they could expand their influence on the world. Additionally, they were able to establish colonies that sent home raw materials that would make them money. Through analysis of the video Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamonds, this essay will show that Europeans were able to conquer the Native Americans so easily due to their geography, weapons, and disease. The advantages of geography that Europeans had allowed them to have agriculture and domesticated animals causing the development of complex societies leading to the conquest of the Native Americans (Guns, Germs and Steel Video). The germs and diseases that Americans were exposed to made settling the land much easier. Because European settlers did not understand the causes of malaria, they settled along rivers and water sources where they were even more exposed to malaria. Furthermore, they all lived close to each other, so epidemics occurred often and were very deadly to other colonists (Guns, Germs, and Steel Video). Europeans had great agriculture. Since the soil was fertile, they could harvest a lot. For example, cereal crops such as wheat and barley. They were easy to store and also very easy to produce. All you had to do was scatter the seeds to get the plant to start growing. Plus, they were very high in calories, so they filled you up quickly (Guns, Germs, and Steel Video). There were many different plants to collect. Gathering was much simpler and more effective than hunting. Most of the harvesting was done by women. Domestic animals were a way of life for Europeans. In addition to meat, animals could be used for their milk,……middle of paper……a. Because they had been exposed to these diseases, their bodies were immune. When the inhabitants of the Americas and the South African Cape came into contact with these germs, they were automatically killed in large numbers. Africans knew how to avoid malaria by living in arid areas since mosquitoes were initially responsible for spreading the diseases. However, malaria was the number one cause of death for children under five (Guns, Germs and Steel Video). As you can see, the Europeans were able to easily defeat the Native Americans. They were able to do this because of their geography, weapons and diseases. Their soil was very rich and they had domesticated animals. Furthermore, firearms allowed them to shoot from long distances. Their horses allowed Europeans to travel faster. Furthermore, diseases such as malaria and smallpox allow them to establish themselves more easily.