The New World paid a high price for European settlement. The indigenous peoples of the Americas were decimated by disease, warfare, and displacement. Millions of people died, and many cultures were destroyed. The environment was also severely damaged, as Europeans introduced new plants and animals that disrupted ecosystems. In addition, the transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to the New World, where they were forced to work as slaves. The legacy of European colonialism continues to shape the Americas today.