The Columbian Exchange
In the 1960’s historian Alfred Crosby wrote a book about history from the ecological perspective called the Columbian Exchange. (Crosby 11) The term Columbian Exchange has since been commonly used to refer to the series of trades between the Old World (the world as people knew it before Columbus’s voyages), and the New World (the new continents discovered after Columbus’s voyages). Since then, the book has become known as a foundational text for the field of environmental study. (Crosby 12) It is known to be a historically accurate account of the recorded exchanges between these two vast worlds and the book has been adapted regularly to change any incorrect information that has been confirmed to be incorrect. These trades …show more content…
Animals from America were generally smaller and reptiles were foreign to European explores. Reptiles like iguanas were actually thought to be poisonous. (Crosby 6) In short, the New World has very few valuable animals to offer to the Old World. (Crosby 212) But it was the Old World animals that were more revolutionary to the New World. These animals, especially pigs, remade the food supply. The plentiful supply of meat and land for agriculture meant that the Europeans in the Americas rarely experienced famine. (Green) Large European animals also changed the nature of work in the Americas providing animals that could carry more weight such as horses. (Green) Before Columbus, The American Indians didn’t have an animal that could bear much weight. When they met horses, they benefited greatly. Sadly, the existing animals in the Americas were not accustomed to being hunted and a few species became extinct after being hunted by Europeans. (Crosby …show more content…
(Crosby 37) The ones passed on to the Americas tended to be endemic rather than epidemic. (Crosby 37) The fatal diseases of the Old World killed more effectively in the New World. (Crosby 37) Smallpox was the first recorded deadly epidemic to arrive in America. (Crosby 42) Smallpox was so deadly that when it first arrived in Iceland 18,000 out of the islands 50,000 natives died of it. (Crosby 44) Within a few days, small pox transforms a healthy man into pustule, oozing horror, which his closest relatives could barely recognize. (Crosby 56) Smallpox’s influence on the history of America is as unquestionable and as spectacular as that of the Black Death on the history of the Old World. (Crosby 42) Indians were weakened before the epidemic small pox by extreme over-work, other diseases, and a general will to live after their whole culture had been shattered by alien invasion. (Crosby 45) The whole process of small pox took a month or less, and after that time the patient was either dead or immune. (Crosby 46) Along with Smallpox, American Indians were killed by measles, mumps, typhus, chicken pox and other diseases, none of which they had previously been exposed to prior to Columbus. Another effect of disease was starvation because there simply weren’t enough people to produce crops to feed their families and themselves. (Green) To top
In the 1960’s historian Alfred Crosby wrote a book about history from the ecological perspective called the Columbian Exchange. (Crosby 11) The term Columbian Exchange has since been commonly used to refer to the series of trades between the Old World (the world as people knew it before Columbus’s voyages), and the New World (the new continents discovered after Columbus’s voyages). Since then, the book has become known as a foundational text for the field of environmental study. (Crosby 12) It is known to be a historically accurate account of the recorded exchanges between these two vast worlds and the book has been adapted regularly to change any incorrect information that has been confirmed to be incorrect. These trades …show more content…
Animals from America were generally smaller and reptiles were foreign to European explores. Reptiles like iguanas were actually thought to be poisonous. (Crosby 6) In short, the New World has very few valuable animals to offer to the Old World. (Crosby 212) But it was the Old World animals that were more revolutionary to the New World. These animals, especially pigs, remade the food supply. The plentiful supply of meat and land for agriculture meant that the Europeans in the Americas rarely experienced famine. (Green) Large European animals also changed the nature of work in the Americas providing animals that could carry more weight such as horses. (Green) Before Columbus, The American Indians didn’t have an animal that could bear much weight. When they met horses, they benefited greatly. Sadly, the existing animals in the Americas were not accustomed to being hunted and a few species became extinct after being hunted by Europeans. (Crosby …show more content…
(Crosby 37) The ones passed on to the Americas tended to be endemic rather than epidemic. (Crosby 37) The fatal diseases of the Old World killed more effectively in the New World. (Crosby 37) Smallpox was the first recorded deadly epidemic to arrive in America. (Crosby 42) Smallpox was so deadly that when it first arrived in Iceland 18,000 out of the islands 50,000 natives died of it. (Crosby 44) Within a few days, small pox transforms a healthy man into pustule, oozing horror, which his closest relatives could barely recognize. (Crosby 56) Smallpox’s influence on the history of America is as unquestionable and as spectacular as that of the Black Death on the history of the Old World. (Crosby 42) Indians were weakened before the epidemic small pox by extreme over-work, other diseases, and a general will to live after their whole culture had been shattered by alien invasion. (Crosby 45) The whole process of small pox took a month or less, and after that time the patient was either dead or immune. (Crosby 46) Along with Smallpox, American Indians were killed by measles, mumps, typhus, chicken pox and other diseases, none of which they had previously been exposed to prior to Columbus. Another effect of disease was starvation because there simply weren’t enough people to produce crops to feed their families and themselves. (Green) To top