The practices of the explorers, conquerors, and colonizers in the New World were not universally accepted and admired in Europe. Monarchs such as Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain at times expressed their discomfort with the seizing of Indians as slaves for return to Europe. People such as Las Casas and Cabeza de Vaca condemned the blatant violence against and exploitation of native peoples; their writings demonstrate their own convictions and beliefs and attest to the fact that alternative ways of thinking did in fact exist.

Yet as the firsthand accounts demonstrate, the exploration of the New World was an often incredible undertaking, as not just leaders of expeditions but the sailors, settlers, and soldiers they relied upon at times displayed remarkable courage and endurance. And the inhabitants of these new lands exhibited tremendous curiosity and openness, followed by resourcefulness and resistance. Whether...