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Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

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The Columbian Exchange was a complex transatlantic trade network between Europe and the Americas that brought prosperity and devastation to those involved. At the beginning of the Exchange, America was home to Native Americans and other native tribes, and Europe had begun craving expansion. In the Americas, transatlantic trade brought wealth through the export of new crops, devastation through diseases the natives did not have immunity to, and a considerable increase in the slave trade. Across the Atlantic Ocean in Europe, populations increased dramatically due to the influx of potatoes, and wealth was also gained due to their own exports to the Americas, where slaves, crops, and animals were always on demand. Africa, too, found wealth and …show more content…

The Columbian Exchange was headed by Europe, who planned on gaining wealth by having exports with higher value than imports. Many goods exported to the Americas were manufactured, as opposed to the raw plants and animals Europe typically received; some of these imported goods included tobacco, vanilla, and, most importantly, potatoes. The imported potatoes drastically increased Europe’s population due to its ability to produce more crops in a given area than any other plant. The inundation of the potatoes in Europe meant that there was more food for more people, allowing people to live longer and reproduce more. Luckily, Europe’s exports managed to outweigh their imports, as Africa and the Americas always had a demand for their manufactured …show more content…

Native In the Americas, the lives of the natives were destroyed through the introduction of diseases, wealth was gained through direct trade with Europe and Africa, and the slave trade paved the way for a completely new way of life for colonists and slaves. Europeans also found wealth in the Columbian Exchange and other transatlantic trade and faced a drastic population increase due to the introduction of potatoes. Africa faced despair through the slave trade, being the supplier of the goods making up the network, but wealth in the same trade system. The changes made to lives during the Columbian Exchange continue to affect the world today; for instance, discrimination against Africans still is apparent in many regions of North America, Europe remains a strong influence in other nations regarding trade and wealth, and Africa continues to face challenges regarding their past of slavery, typically in the form of racism and discrimination. It’s very apparent to see in the world today how drastically the Columbian Exchange and transatlantic trade affected lives around the

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