An explorer known for his 1492 voyage to the Americas, Columbus's actions initiated the Columbian Exchange, dramatically affecting global ecosystems and economies.

Spanish conquistadors whose expedition successfully established a trade route with China via the Philippines, fulfilling Columbus's original trade intentions albeit by a different path.

An English settler in North America who is credited with establishing tobacco cultivation in the Virginia Colony, influencing global trade and cultural practices related to tobacco.

An English explorer whose leadership and trading relationships with Indigenous peoples played a crucial role in the survival of the early Jamestown colony.

An English sea captain known for circumnavigating the globe and engaging in piracy against Spanish ships, noted for disputed claims about introducing potatoes to Europe.

A paramount chief of the Tsenacomoco, whose leadership fostered trade relationships with Jamestown settlers and expanded his community's territory significantly.

Daughter of Chief Powhatan, known for her interactions with Jamestown settlers, including her relationship with John Rolfe, contributing to temporary peace between colonists and Indigenous peoples.

A Chinese scholar and poet who proposed a theory on population growth and ecological sustainability that predates and anticipates Malthus's theories.

An economist known for his controversial theory on population dynamics, suggesting that population growth would always outstrip Earth's capacity to provide resources.

An entrepreneur credited with discovering vulcanization, a method to stabilize rubber, despite his financial struggles and imprisonments.

An African man who played a role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and contributed to agriculture in Mexico by successfully cultivating wheat.

A Spanish conquistador responsible for the conquest of the Aztec Empire, leading to significant cultural and political changes in Mexico.

An enslaved African who became a renowned healer during his travels across Mexico, embodying resilience and adaptability in challenging circumstances.

An African princess who escaped slavery in Brazil and founded a successful maroon community, incorporating a diverse population of Africans, Indigenous peoples, and others.