The Columbian Exchange Essay example - 1077 Words

The Columbian Exchange is the exchange of plants, animals, food, and diseases between Europe and the Americas. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus came to America, he saw plants and animals he had never seen before so he took them back with him to Europe. Columbus began the trade routes which had never been established between Europe and the Americas so his voyages initiated the interchange of plants between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, which doubled the food crop resources available to people on both sides of the Atlantic. When the Europeans explored the Americas, they were introduced to new plants, foods, and animals, as well as riches and land. Foods such as corn, white and sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cacao, fruits,†¦show more content†¦Grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and rice were shared. Citrus fruits, grapes, onions, cabbage, turnips, cotton, coffee, sugarcane, as well as spices and herbs, were among the many other foods and plants introduced to Nat ive American culture. Also introduced were European religion and culture, new tools for agriculture, and new weaponry such as knives and firearms. One consequence of the exchange was mass death. In the search for new routes for trade, people of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas came in contact with each other, causing the spread of disease. Columbuss colonization brought a host of new diseases to the populations of the Americas. Europeans exported their diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis and smallpox. In return, European traders and colonizers returned the Europe with syphilis and typhus from the Americas. The slave trade caused the spread of malaria and yellow fever from Africa to the Caribbean and North America, and yellow fever to Europe. While trying to adapt Native Americans to European customs, Columbus and his followers took advantage of the Indians. The Spanish burned the Natives sacred objects and would not allow them to practice their own religions. They also ab used the Natives, enslaving them, taking land from them, and raping their women. Because of the conquistadors quest for gold and other riches,Show MoreRelatedAlfred W. Crosbys Article The Columbian Voyages, The Columbian Exchange, and Their Historians769 Words   |  4 Pages In his article â€Å"The Columbian Voyages, the Columbian Exchange, and Their Historians†, Alfred W. Crosby seems to think that much of the Columbian voyages and what came out of them was detrimental to many cultures, most of all the Native Americans. Crosby brings up many institutions and ideologies to re-enforce his opinion, such as the slave trade and the conquest of many Native American cultures. One of the major effects of the Columbian exchange was the decimation of the Native American populationRead MoreAmerica Before Columbus And The Columbian Exchange1597 Words   |  7 Pagesthe fact that it was not merely the arrival of conquistadors and colonists that irrevocably changed the landscape of the Americas, but that it was also the coined term known as the â€Å"Columbian Exchange† that afforded these travelers the ability to proliferate so successfully. The basic definition of the Columbian exchange is one that defines the importation of European flora and fauna. It could also loosely represent other imports, both intended and unintended, such as tools, implements, and even diseaseRead MoreHow The Columbian Exchange Changed Global Consumption Patterns Essay1220 Words   |  5 Pagesbefore. When he found the new world he brought with him European plants and animal species that were foreign to the citizens of the New World. The Columbian Exchange introduced many foo ds that are still essential to consumption in today’s world along with the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. The potato is a prime example of how the Columbian Exchange changed global consumption patterns because it was nutritious and had an abundant amount of calories in it and caused a mass population increaseRead Morecolumbian exchange817 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ The Columbian Exchange The Columbian exchange created an enormous interchange of various political ideas, cultures, foods, diseases, animals, and people between the old world and the new world, this give and take relationship caused many changes some positive and some negative between the two areas and help redistribute resources between the two hemispheres. There were many positive things that happened as a result of the Columbian exchange. Potatoes and corn became major food sources forRead MoreThe Columbian Exchange1317 Words   |  6 PagesAtlantic and vipers on the other. After 1492, human voyagers in part reversed this tendency. Their artificial re-establishment of connections through the commingling of Old and New World plants, animals, and bacteria, commonly known as the Columbian Exchange, is one of the more spectacular and significant ecological events of the past millennium. When Europeans first touched the shores of the Americas, Old World crops such as wheat, barley, rice, and turnips had not traveled west across the AtlanticRead MoreIndians And The Columbian Exchange1487 Words   |  6 Pages The Columbian Exchange is a huge exchange of goods and ideas between the old world and the new world. The old world is considered Europe, Asia and Africa and the new world is considered America. Their colonies started to trade with each other and that’s when they formed the Columbian Exchange. Many countries were involved in this trade, including China, Africa and Italy. The exchange of the new ideas, traditions, food, religion and diet changed cultures everywhere. The Natives gave and receivedRead MoreThe Columbian Exchange Statistics782 Words   |  4 PagesThe Columbian Exchange Statistics By the Numbers Estimated population of Europe in 1492: about 60 million Estimated population of the Americas in 1492: 40-100 million Estimated population of Europe in 1800: 150 million Estimated population of the Americas in 1800: 25 million (the vast majority of whom were of European or African descent) Major domesticated animals in the New World in 1492: dog, llama Major domesticated animals in the Old World in 1492: horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chickenRead MoreImpact Of The Columbian Exchange909 Words   |  4 PagesThe Columbian Exchange was an event that was very impactful on modern day. The Columbian Exchange was the widespread trade of plants, animals, guns, and diseases. It occured between the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Examples of products that the Americas contributed are turkey, squash, and potatoes. Examples of products that Europe contributed are horses, sugar, and smallpox. Columbian exchange was a huge impact on our modern day world because it changed war and hunting, it introduced new ingredientsRead MoreEssay On The Columbian Exchange816 Words   |  4 PagesThe Columbian Exchange The discovery of the New world or America in the year 1492, and The Columbian Exchange it played a significant role on bring resources to various parts of the world. It brought the exchange of various resources like plants, animals, and diseases across the world. The year was 1492 is when Christopher set sail and put in motion The Columbian Exchange or also known as The Great Exchange. The Columbian Exchange affected the geographic location with the trading routes withRead MoreImpact Of The Columbian Exchange970 Words   |  4 PagesCrosby used the term â€Å"Columbian Exchange† for this significant event. In general, the Columbian Exchange has not only changed Europeans and Native Americas ways of life but also helped to shape the world today. First of all, the changes in agriculture has a great impact on both the Old World and the New in terms of culture and economy. The popular New World crops such as maize, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and manioc travel to the Old Worlds during the Columbian Exchange. Thanks to the suitable