European explorers spread out across what became North America to find resources and claim territory for their home countries. As a feature of the Enlightenment, rational scientific thought on racial differences justified oppressive expansionist practices. In this progression of exploration and colonization, what social process were Indigenous groups subject to?

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Indigenous groups were subjected to racialization, which is the process of categorizing people into racial groups based on physical characteristics and perceived cultural differences. This process was used to justify the mistreatment and exploitation of indigenous people by European colonizers.

European Explorers Spread Out Across What Became North America to Find