The Columbian Exchange is the historical swapping of peoples, animals, plants and diseases between Europeans and Indians that brought about cultural blending and a birth of a new world. However, the exchange favored Europeans as their population grew while Indians population declined since they brought in diseases like typhoid, chicken pox and malaria which wiped the Indians population who lacked natural immunity. The European plants like wheat, rice, sugarcane and barley and animals like cattle, horses, sheep, swine and chickens affected the native environment. European settlers started corn, cassava and potato farming and that resulted to a quick population growth.
During the late 1400s and the early 1500s, European expeditioners began to explore the New World. Native Americans, who were living in America originally, were much different than the Europeans arriving at the New World; they had a different culture, diet, and religion. Eventually, both the Native Americans and the European colonists exchanged different aspects of their life. For example, Native Americans gave the Europeans corn, and the Europeans in return gave them modern weapons, such as various types of guns. This type of trade was called “the Columbian Exchange.” However, the Columbian exchange didn’t always benefit both the Native Americans and the Europeans. Diseases were also exchanged, specifically to the Native Americans. Whether the exchanges were positive or negative, the Columbian exchange had a huge global effect, both immediately after the exchange and long-term. The Columbian exchange caused inflation in Europe, change in hunting habits of Native Americans,change in farming habits within Europe, and a large decrease of Native American populations.
In 1540 to 1700, the Scientific Revolution occured, events and tools created during this time period would change life forever. First, the astrolabe and the compass were both technological advances created to help navigate and explore the world. Also, at this time Asian spices were huge, but Italy and Egypt controlled the trade routes to Asia. Then, explorers started to sail the world, finding new routes and lands. Lastly, Christopher Columbus tried to sail to Asia in late 1492, but messed up on his way there and discovered the New World. European colonization changed the lives of Native Americans in the New World.
Upon the uncovering of the of the America’s by the European super powers, most of the native American tribes were quickly captured. The question arises as to why the Europeans conquered the Americans and not the other way around. Europe was able to prosper and grow while the indigenous groups of the Americas stayed in the past. European success over American tribes was attributed to the fact that the Europeans possessed more advanced technologies and skills that could be used against natives, Europeans were literate and could record knowledge and events easily, and the European diseases brought over were devastating to the unprepared indian populations.
Among the many things spread and shared in the Columbian Exchange, the trading of diseases is perhaps the most significant. The natives of the Americas had never experienced the serious diseases that European explorers carried over to the New World. From smallpox to influenza and malaria to cholera, Native American populations were drastically decreased due to their poor immunity. Between the numerous amounts of European diseases, though, measles was the most remarkable in that its effects were both widespread and enduring.
Christopher Columbus is a Villain. On some accounts he can be a Hero. But on many other accounts he's a vicious Villain. Yes he discovered America ; Yes we have a holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. But here are some reasons to why he's a evil man.
The Columbian Exchange allowed the transformation of diseases between the two worlds. Diseases affected the Native Americans the most, demolishing nearly all of their population. The diseases spread rapidly throughout the New World, not only infecting the Native people. Moreover, affecting anyone who has exposed it, reaching many more places in the world including Mexico, Peru, and killing millions on the Carribean Islands. Europeans were already immune to the diseases other cultures endured.
In the Age of Exploration, the Columbian Exchange was created between Europe and the Americas as a massive exchange of plants, animals, and diseases. In document 2, the Columbian Exchange is depicted, and a main part of it shows how many diseases– smallpox, measles, and typhus– were brought by Europe to the Americas. In The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, Miguel Léon-Portilla claims that diseases struck "everywhere in the city and kill[ed] a vast number of... people" (Document 7). The illnesses caused many sores to appear on peoples' faces and bodies. Some people could not walk or move as they were helpless and cried in agony. Many people died from not only diseases, but also from hunger because they "could not get to search for food" and "everyone else was too sick to care of them, so they starved to death in their own beds" (Document 7). Document 2 shows that the effects of the diseases caused a large decline of population for the Native Americans– estimating a decrease of roughly 25 million people to 1.5 million people within about 85 years. Through the exchange of goods, the Americans imported a lot more than they intended. In effect of that, they killed many people and destroyed many civilizations. To make matters worse, they did not have any intentions of helping or caring for the people who they
Age of Exploration was a period of time from thousands of years ago, during which European ships were traveled around the world searching for trading routes and partners to help Europe. Lands were used to maintain foods and keep them from spoiling. Lands, however, were expensive and dangerous to get. Traders had to travel from a land route from Europe to Asia to get them. Europeans were desperate to get lands from Asia. They didn’t just went to Asia, They almost went all around the world like Africa, and North America. Europeans when they go and conquer the land They tell the people other, either you follow our rules or you will be kicked out of here. “Global warming is not a conqueror to kneel before, but it’s a challenge to rise to. A challenge
European explorers and conquistadors during the age of exploration were motivated by three things: God, gold and glory. The two most prominent of the three between 1492 and 1607 were gold and glory. Beginning in 1492 gold motivated many explorers, from Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World to the Virginia Company’s colonization of America. Gold is a symbol for wealth, and many explorers soon realized the New World’s potential for wealth. The Spanish’s interest in wealth inspired Columbus’s expedition in the first place, as he was sent to India to trade for spices. Columbus reportedly traded pieces of his ship for gold, and was given a golden mask by a native chief. He later said in court (believing he had reached India) “There are many spices, and great mines of gold and other metals…”. After learning of the untapped natural resources and potential for wealth, European nations created an exploration frenzy, with constant voyages to the new world. The nations which sponsored these expeditions would give the explorers a cut of all the gold they found, which helped motivate conquistadors to make the long and treacherous journey to the New World. These explorers knew gold would bring wealth and power to them and their country, in addition to achieving tremendous glory for both.
With them came smallpox, measles, chicken pox, influenza, and many other diseases. “Before the arrival of Columbus, Native American disease wasn’t dominant in the land. Due to the lack of exposure of disease in their younger years, Native Americans were vulnerable to the European diseases that would come with the Columbian Exchange. The diseases would soon destroy many societies of the ancient Aztec, Maya, and Inca. Through many estimates it is foreseen that alien diseases caused over 50% deaths of the Native American population. On the other hand, Europeans didn’t have the same effect when they came in contact with these diseases. Exposed to the diseases at an early age, Europeans were mostly to fully immune. With the devastating effects of disease, native culture was starting to change. Persuaded that their native gods have abandoned them, many natives converted to Christianity. Forced by disease, natives usually married relatives that survived the diseases since appropriate partners were scarce. Furthermore, disease also influenced the African Slave Trade to the Americas. With Africans being immune to Old World diseases other than the Native Americans, many Europeans preferred the African as the better slave.”(The Great Disease Migration)
Many years ago, a continental drift split North and South America from Eurasia and Africa. As they remained separated, new species of plants and animals developed and evolved on each continent. The Columbian Exchange was a period of physical exchanges between the Old and New worlds. The Old and the New worlds exchanged diseases, populations, crops, and animals. All of these exchanges were brought to the Americas after Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas. These exchanges had a drastic effect on the Native Americans in the New world.
The Columbian Exchange was the movement of people, animals, goods, plants, diseases, and microorganism that occurred in the sixteenth century. The effects of The Columbian Exchange on early American society were extensive. One of the most devastating effects was the spreading of disease that killed around ninety percent of the Native American population. When Europeans came to the New World they brought with them diseases such as, “smallpox, measles, typhus, and cholera”(document one). The native’s immune systems were not prepared to fight theses diseases and this lead to a catastrophic amount of fatalities. In document four we see evidence of a smallpox breakout through an illustration of native americans with spots covering their bodies.
The Columbian Exchange brought new people and new animals, and with both of these new diseases. These new people brought new technology from the Old World to the New World where many Amerindian tribes had already settled. One of the diseases brought from the Old World was Smallpox. Many people from the Old World had developed a tolerance for this disease but because it was new to the Amerindians it wiped out huge amounts of them and they didn’t know what it was or how to cure it. The Old World also brought horses, sheep, cattle, and goats. In return, the New World only offered guinea pigs
However, trade and commerce had a negative effect on both sides as well, namely disease. Disease killed a lot of Native Americans as well as gave syphilis to the Old World. The Old World exchanged a vast amount of diseases, for example, smallpox, measles, malaria, yellow fever, influenza, and chick pox. In the New World, the diseases that were exchanged with the Old World were syphilis, polio, hepatitis, and encephalitis (“The Columbian Exchange Introduction”). Due to the fact that both Old and New Worlds had all those illnesses that were crossing the ocean, the Native American population was diminished. The cause of so many deaths was because Native Americans were incapable of surviving the