As the survivors of the ship from Africa take their first steps in the Americas, a man of white skin approaches them. He briefly glances over the group before sending them away to a nearby auction. The foreigners wait silently as their fates are decided. All they can do is pray that they will not be mistreated… more than they already are. This is just one example of slavery’s beginnings in the Americas. Europeans transformed life in the Americas by abusing other races and increasing trade of natural resources.
One example of how the Europeans shaped life in the Americas is by conquering the Aztec Empire. In 1519, Spaniard Hernando Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico along with 508 conquistadors and dreams of riches. As the conquistadors continued …show more content…
This transfer between plants, animals, and diseases was called the Columbian Exchange. Although the Exchange had a lot of positive effects, it also caused many communities along the eastern seaboard of the (present-day) United States to be completely wiped out. Since the Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases such as influenza, measles, and smallpox, they died quickly even before settlers started to come in large numbers. These diseases killed more than twenty million Native Americans in Mexico in the first century after their conquest, alone. The population of Native Americans in Central America decreased by 90 to 95% between the years 1519 and 1619. Similar results were found in Peru, along with many other parts of the …show more content…
Even though we were able to abolish slavery, racism is still a major issue in our country. Slavery started in the Americas for people to get free labor done in plantations, haciendas (large farms or estates), or mines. During the beginnings of slavery in the Americas, many slaves resisted by running away. Often these “maroons” (runaway slaves) formed colonies with native Americans. In order to prevent all these escapes and rebellions, the Spanish government decided to pass slave codes. These laws were meant to allow slaves some basic rights, but most were misused to punish slaves and keep them in bondage. Overtime, people started to associate slavery with black Africans, since they were the best fit and most common slaves. It was not long before dark skin became a sign of inferiority, which led to racism. The slave trade lasted nearly four hundred years from 1500s to the mid-1800s. All of this contact between Africa and the Americas formed a part of the Columbian Exchange, since Africans brought a vast knowledge of both farming and raising livestock.
In addition, the slave trade brought people with very unique African heritages to the Americas. People from different parts of Africa had many interesting cultural traditions. Slaves brought with them very artistic heritages in dance, music, and storytelling. With their help, a common African-based culture
One example of how the Europeans shaped life in the Americas is by conquering the Aztec Empire. In 1519, Spaniard Hernando Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico along with 508 conquistadors and dreams of riches. As the conquistadors continued …show more content…
This transfer between plants, animals, and diseases was called the Columbian Exchange. Although the Exchange had a lot of positive effects, it also caused many communities along the eastern seaboard of the (present-day) United States to be completely wiped out. Since the Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases such as influenza, measles, and smallpox, they died quickly even before settlers started to come in large numbers. These diseases killed more than twenty million Native Americans in Mexico in the first century after their conquest, alone. The population of Native Americans in Central America decreased by 90 to 95% between the years 1519 and 1619. Similar results were found in Peru, along with many other parts of the …show more content…
Even though we were able to abolish slavery, racism is still a major issue in our country. Slavery started in the Americas for people to get free labor done in plantations, haciendas (large farms or estates), or mines. During the beginnings of slavery in the Americas, many slaves resisted by running away. Often these “maroons” (runaway slaves) formed colonies with native Americans. In order to prevent all these escapes and rebellions, the Spanish government decided to pass slave codes. These laws were meant to allow slaves some basic rights, but most were misused to punish slaves and keep them in bondage. Overtime, people started to associate slavery with black Africans, since they were the best fit and most common slaves. It was not long before dark skin became a sign of inferiority, which led to racism. The slave trade lasted nearly four hundred years from 1500s to the mid-1800s. All of this contact between Africa and the Americas formed a part of the Columbian Exchange, since Africans brought a vast knowledge of both farming and raising livestock.
In addition, the slave trade brought people with very unique African heritages to the Americas. People from different parts of Africa had many interesting cultural traditions. Slaves brought with them very artistic heritages in dance, music, and storytelling. With their help, a common African-based culture