Volume I: Conquest of a Continent, 1492-1783 begins by comparing and contrasting the different worldviews held by Indian and European nations as reflected in their philosophies and religions. It progresses to comprehensively document the contact, conflict and alliances that shaped and influenced their histories. Since the initial conflicts in the 1500s, both the Europeans and later the colonists followed policies of conquest. Indian nations developed political philosophies to cope with the pressures of colonial governments. Some adapted to European ways as a means of survival. Some went to war with the Europeans, and others made alliances with them, often against other Indian nations, making the frontier far more complicated than red versus white. The descendants of the Europeans, believing the entire North American continent was their destiny, began the long process of coercing the Indian nations from their lands, a practice that continues today. Part One of a two-volume set.