Cause And Impact Of The Columbian Exchange

People throughout Europe were given the opportunity to travel to the newly discovered lands of the Americas and begin new lives. The Exchange brought about many changes in the world, both good and bad. Although it is true that it was a direct result of Christopher Columbus' voyages to America, we must realize that if it hadn't been Columbus who started it, then it would have been another explorer, returning from their journeys wishing to show the wonders they found in foreign places.

The Europeans brought back from the New World, tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes, which provided food for the now greatly populated Europe. Other crops that were brought to Europe included blueberry, cranberry, papaya, wild rice, and pumpkin. In exchange for these great new crops the Europeans brought massive amounts of pigs, cattle, and horses. The horse highly effected the lives of the Native Americans by improving their hunting abilities. Another crop that did exceptionally well in the tropical climate of the Caribbean was the sugar cane brought over by Columbus.

The major impacts of the Colombian exchange was Christianity that led to the rise of the Catholic Church, new food crops and domesticated animals that improved the Europeans and American living, new military technology such as weapons and horses, slavery of the natives and Africans and diseases that drastically harmed the different ethnic groups. Colombian Exchange between the old world and the new world still holds a drastic impact on the world today. If we didn’t have these influences then the world would be completely changed. Trading still continues today and has made an impact all over the world.

Europe ruled their lands in the Americas either directly or indirectly. The Treaty of Tordesillas gave the king ultimate authority ru... ... middle of paper ... ... political impact from the Columbian Exchange on the Americas and Europe because of the bureaucracies, and reforms established in the Americas while Europe ruled the Americas and had growing tensions. Economically, the Americas were dependent zones, there was mining and agriculture, and there was the introduction of slavery and the encomienda system. Crops, and bullion were sent to the core nations, but because of this and mercantilism, there was inflation in Europe. There were new diseases and animals imported by the Americas and the natives were forced to convert to Christianity, on the other hand Europe had population growth and a developing social class in the Americas.

Among these germs were those that brought smallpox, measles, chickenpox, influenza, malaria, and yellow fever. The Columbian exchange of crops affected both the Old World and the New. Amerindian crops that have crossed oceans for example, maize to China and the white potato to Ireland has been incentive to population growth in the Old World. The latter’s crops and livestock have had much the same outcome in the Americas. The full story of the trade is very long, so for the hope of shortness and sharpness let us focus on a certain area, the east... ... middle of paper ... ...ian Exchange has been a crucial factor in that demographic explosion.

Columbus and the explorers that followed him changed all that. They brought horses, chickens and other livestock to the Americans and returned to Europe with corn, potatoes, tomatoes and hundreds of other species. This biological exchange transformed the United States, according to Mann. Columbus and those who followed created a market for tobacco, for example, that later fueled the American economy. The importation of horses transformed Native American culture and allowed more rapid transportation across North America.

Sheep and their wool spread to Europe through ancient Greece between 3000 B.C. and 1000 B.C. The exchange of sheep during the Columbian Exchange between 1450 and 1750 C.E. evolved and progressed the economy of both the New and Old world, and affected the world politically and socially – specifically hurting Native American and native animal populations. However, despite these changes pushed by the exchange of sheep, industries derived from sheep products such as the wool industry still remain as big industries today, and those affected negatively by sheep still continued usage of them and their products.

Europeans soon began to take advantage of the New World and their people, by taking their land where natives resided for thousands of years. Once tobacco was brought back to Europe, people wanted more and more of it, which later attracted people from the Old World to move to the New World, and eventually creating what we have now today, the United States of America. When people started moving to the western hemisphere, the movement of Manifest Destiny was in play, which resulted in deaths of Native Americans, making the Old World loose from the exchange, and the New World gain from the exchange. Ways that the exchange continues today by the idea of cultural diffusion and the exchange of culture. Today, fruits and vegetables such as, cocoa, coffee, bananas, corn and potatoes are exported and imported to and from Europe everyday connecting both worlds together.

The discovery of the Americas brought a large exchange of people, diseases and crops. Corn, peppers, tomatoes, cassava, cocoa, rubber and tobacco were some of the crops introduced to the Old World. Coffee, oranges, bananas and sugar cane were introduced to the Americas. One of the most important crops brought to the Old World was the potato. Potatoes, as a substitute for wheat or rice, provided peasants a new source of calories.

The European Age of Exploration changed many aspects of the world. For example, in the Americas and Spice Islands it caused the destruction of indigenous civilizations and the establishment of European colonies. In other parts such as South Asia and Africa it left native regimes united, but affected the local societies and regional trade patterns. During this time many people favored this European process. It didn't just expand world trade and allow the exchange of new crops and discoveries between the Old and the New Worlds.