Despite centuries of intense exchanges between Europe, Asia, and Africa, only after 1492 societies from all world regions exchanged goods and foods. These interactions fostered global economic, social, cultural, and environmental exchanges; a process called “the First Globalization.” In this course we will explore the pivotal role of the Americas in shaping the First Globalization between 1492 and the 1800s. Unlike traditional histories that privilege the view of the Americas as a recipient of European expertise and technologies, in this course we will study how the world relied on the knowledge and practices of indigenous communities from North to South America and African peoples and their descendants. Using primary and secondary sources, we will explore the roles of indigenous and African practices in the Americas in the production, consumption, and circulation of American products like cacao and cochineal (red dye), as well as already-known goods and foods like fur, silver, gold, rice, and sugar. The course will consist of five modules concluding with written assessments, weekly discussion board posts, and a final written project. Students will leave the course with a better understanding of how American and African societies were pivotal to the first globalization as they adapted, negotiated, and resisted European colonialism in the Americas.