Hubert Howe Bancroft's 10-volume BOOK OF WEALTH explores the origins and influence of wealth, from the earliest civilizations to the dawn of the Twentieth Century. The books offer an in-depth look at the history of economics and finance relative to the history of the human race, and include Bancroft's extraordinary insights into the psychology of economic exchange as he examines the individuals, organizations and nations that have attained great wealth. In Book Seven, Bancroft turns his gaze to the New World - South and Central America, the West India Islands, Mexico and Canada.He details the rich history of the indigenous empires - before and after the arrival of European explorers, who stumbled upon the Americas while looking for a passage to the legendary riches of the Far East.Once discovered, the New World was subjected to wave after wave of foreign conquerors, who exploited the indigenous peoples - claiming their souls for the church, and seizing their gold, minerals and other native resources to enrich the crown heads back home.