Unbalanced Consequences: The Columbian Exchange

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“It's striking that Native Americans evolved no devastating epidemic diseases to give to Europeans in return for the many devastating epidemic diseases that Indians received from the Old World.” - Jared Diamond. This quote means the New World had suffered more than the Old World. The Columbian Exchange had benefits to both New World and Old World, but it was not equally beneficial for both worlds as one benefit more. Because of the exchange millions of Native Americans were killed and forced to work for labor; the Columbian Exchange was not worth it. An explorer name Christopher Columbus from Spain wanted to find a water route from Western Europe and Asia. He was not successful, but instead he did find something that changed everything. Columbus discovered the Americas by sailing with the Spanish Monarchs. Conquistadors are leaders in the Spanish conquest of America. They went to explore America to conquer the Native Americans, to spread Christianity, and find gold and treasure. The Conquistadors were a negative part of the Columbian Exchange, they stole riches from the New World’s land, and killed many of the Native people.
The Columbian Exchange was to trade goods between the Old World and the New World. The Europeans and the Americas …show more content…

Some common diseases in the old world included smallpox, measles, malaria, yellow fever, influenza, and chickenpox. In the New World the most commons diseases were syphilis, polio, hepatitis, and encephalitis. Diseases was a negative part of the Columbian Exchange for both worlds, but the New World had the most effect. The smallpox was the most deadliest of diseases and it majorly impacted the Native Americans in the New World. The Native Americans had no prior contact to the smallpox or other deadly diseases, which was unfortunately since 80-90 percent of the Native population were wiped

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