Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

Improved Essays
The Columbian Exchange, an exchange of diseases and resources between the New and Old World, impacted the Atlantic World drastically. Amazingly, once Christopher Columbus struck the Bahamas in 1492, he brought two extremely separate biological worlds together once again. This creating a long, intensive cycle of triangular trade across the Atlantic World. However, the effects of the Columbian Exchange were not all necessarily positive or helpful. Once Columbus arrived in the Americas, new diseases broke out to an American population that had no prior experience to them. Unfortunately, the outcome was catastrophic. The introduction of different diseases in America was one of the most dramatic and traumatic impact of the Columbian Exchange. In …show more content…
By inadvertently causing the intense decrease of the Native American population, the Colombian Exchange shattered the economic balance in the America. Additionally, the population decrease caused a labor shortage in the Americas which played a key part in the creation of African slavery. Once the American population steadily grew back, they contributed in providing new plant species and cuisine for parts of Africa and Europe. The America’s most important crop maize established itself in North Africa and by 1800, maize was the main grain in large parts of southern France. However, maize was most likely the most valuable in southern Africa. Over the centuries, became an essential lower class food in southern Africa. Unfortunately, the potato exceeded the maize’s popularity because it had a stronger influence on the food supply and population growth in Europe. The potato had no effect in Africa where the environment did not suit it, but the potato did thrive in northern Europe. This acceptance of the potato caused a population explosion in Europe. With this population explosion, foundations were laid on world-changing developments such as the Industrial Revolution and even modern European

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Columbian exchange was a vital event that led to the merging of the Old and New worlds. It also dramatically changed the resources available, cultures, and many more aspects of life in all countries involved. The Columbian exchange was the sharing of plants, animals, population, ideas, disease, and many more consequences as a result of Columbus’ arrival and the exploration of the resources in the Americas. The new cultures and ideas developed from the Columbian Exchange included the introduction of new resources and foods, increased trade, as well as the devastation of new diseases. Introduction of disease to the Old and New worlds was a large consequence of the Columbian exchange.…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Columbian Exchange impacted the Old and New World because the things each world brought to the other, which changed the environment. Crops such as wheat, barely, rice, and turnip grew in the Old World and maize, white potatoes, and manioc grew in the new world. The Old and New World had different crops growing, which they could have brought to each other. For example, Europeans settled on the east coast of the United States in the New World, they brought wheat and apples with them from the old world. This is an example of people bringing crops when settling, changing their environment.…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Colombian Exchange impacted both the Americas and Europe in various ways that are still apparent hundreds of years later. “America Before Columbus” provides a closer look at the events and people who shaped the American landscape. The Columbian Exchange refers to the trade of plants, animals, people, resources, and bacteria from the Old World (Europe) to the New World (the Americas). Plants that were abundant in Europe, for example wheat, rice, peaches, and apples did not exist in the New World. European settlers also brought horses, cattle, pigs, and bees to the New World as well.…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The voyage between the two areas circulate a huge variety of new crops and domesticated animals. This was made possible by the relationship that Columbus helped create between the new world (the Americas), and the old world (Europe, Asia, and Africa). The Columbian exchange had great causes and effects. Many natives received livestock, grains, and fruits, which also led to many deaths in natives due to European diseases. The natives also were introduced to new technology the Spanish introduced catholic Christian churches, and new economic opportunities.…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Identify two effects of the Columbian exchange had on Europe/Europeans. The Columbian exchange led to more Europeans living in the New World. Additionally, the Columbian Exchange contributed to cultural diffusion between the Americas and Europe. 7.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Columbian Exchange was an event that was extremely significant to the world. The Columbian Exchange allowed people to see foods that they had never seen before. America brought to Europe peppers, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, snap beans, lime beans, and squash. Today, maize and potatoes are the biggest and most important crop item in Europe and used daily. Europe brought to America the crops of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and millet.…

    • 236 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. What was Native American society like before European contact? What similarities and difference existed? The indigenous peoples of what is now the United States were split into countess tribes, practiced a variety of religions and traditions, and developed different ways of life in different environments across North America.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Everyone knows that plants played a big part in the Columbian Exchange, but by just how much? If you were to calculate just how it changed the world the number would be innumerable, however, I can explain some of the good it did. Have it be noted that the plants exchange also had ruinous effects on the world, but that would take immense time to explain both. Let’s focus on the good and you will see just how much your everyday life, as you know it, was effected by the great plant exchange brought on by the Old World.…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Columbian Exchange Impact

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The creation of colonies in the Americas that led to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries. There are a lot of contributions that we didn't even knew had such a big impact on our world. The Columbian exchange is the type of contribution of the old world to the new and the new world to the old. Some examples that affected our world majorly are horses and how the impacted farms, maize (corn) was important for humans and animals for food, and smallpox how it affected So many families and how they got through it.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A long-term impact the Spanish had in the United States was the encomienda system. Even though the system was replaced with a United States general slavery system, it influenced the development of slavery in the US which would last for many years. The Columbian Exchange impacted the new and old worlds by introducing many valuable crops such as citrus to the new world and vanilla tobacco to the old world. It also brought new technology which improved the combat of the natives in the new world, which had both negative and positive effect on the Europeans.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    From 1500 to 1750, there were changes and continuities on the ways Latin America participated in inter regional trade. The major turning point of Latin America's participation in inter regional trade is the discovery of the New World by Columbus. The impact of this event can be seen globally because this started the global exchange of goods through the Columbian Exchange. The overall continuity of Latin America's participation in trade is its role in the Triangle Trade as the producer of cash crops and raw materials because of the colonization of the Americas led by the Spanish. Latin America's participation in inter regional trade started with the discovery of the New World by Columbus.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many events and actions occurred during the years 1492 and 1750. The Columbian Exchange occurred and the Europeans had a great influence over the economy of Western Europe and Africa. Although most things the Europeans gained from their economic doings stayed the same, there were also changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. There were many changes during that time period. Changes such as slave trade and the new crops that were introduced.…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Although illness, sickness, and death eventually came as a result of the Columbian Exchange, the introduction of cattle, crops, and the increase in commerce had a positive effect on the both cultures. New items like sugar, coffee, corn, horses, and wheat were exchanged and both groups of people benefit from the exchange…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The worst effects can be seen in The Columbian Exchange, The French and Indian Wars, and the loss of Indian land. The Columbian exchange was an event where plants, animals, and culture were transported and exchanged between the Eastern and Western hemisphere. These exchanges changed the lives of not only the Europeans, but the Native Americans as well. Europe and the Americas were now introduced to many crops, such as potatoes, corn, peppers, avocados, and many others.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Columbian Exchange Essay

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In 1492, Christopher Columbus set his voyage to America where he discovered new things. Christopher Columbus began the trade routes between Europe and America that has never been established before during that time. This would be known as the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian exchange was an exchange of goods and ideas between the old world (Europe, Asia, Africa) and new world (America). The exchange consisted of plants, animals, culture, diseases, and slaves.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays