After Columbus' 'discovery' of America in 1492, an began exchange between the 'Old World', the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and the 'New World', the continents of what today is North America and South America. Historian Alfred Crosby called this exchange the 'Columbian Exchange'. The spread of new foods and animals benefited both the Old and New worlds, although the exchange of disease devastated the New World. Historians estimate that as many as 100 million people died as a result of the spread of diseases such as Small Pox and Influenza. This exchange changed world history and created the world that we live in today. After the Spanish settled in America, many new foods and species of plants were introduced to the people of Eurasia, none of which they had said before. Although most of the exchange of food was from the New World to the Old World, Eurasia also introduced the America’s to wheat and grapes, two very important foods for mass. Potatoes and corn were a major part of the Columbian Exchange as they provided a lot of nutrition and were very easy to grow. They could grow in soil that was previously useless for agriculture. Other foods that spread across Europe were tomatoes, peppers, chocolate, beans, pineapples, avocados and blueberries. This exchange of food was the main reason that the worlds population doubled from 545,000,000 in 1600 to 1,128,000,000 in 1850 and historians often describe this massive increase in the nutritional value and variety of
The Columbian Exchange, derived from the voyages of Columbus to the Americas, was a chapter in history that connected the Old World to the New World by exchanging crops, culture, and technology. The Columbian Exchange in the Western Hemisphere resulted in extensive demographic, social, economic, and environmental changes. The arrival of Europeans to Native American land produced an intense mixture of culture and population fluctuation. Not only did this exchange affect the social aspect between the two nations, it changed the way people engaged in trade and proprietary interests, which would lead to a massive destruction and transformation of the environment.
When the Europeans explored the Americas, they were introduced to new plants, foods, and animals, as well as riches and land. Foods such as corn, white and sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cacao, fruits,
Some main factors that encouraged exploration had a lot to do with trade and wealth. It was very hard to feed a lot of people since many areas did not have the food supply that they needed. Also, being able to discover fasters ways of traveling different routes led exploreres to new areas of the world by sailing on more modern boats that went farther rather than the smaller boats that were around for most of the time. The rich merchant class provided money for people to travel, if they succeeded they became more wealthy, if the voyagers did not succeed they simply lost their wealth.
In 1492, after Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in the Americas for the first time, there was a huge exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and people that interconnected the world as it is today. This exchange of goods is now known as the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange has had a massive impact on our world and is still going on today. Although disease had a huge impact on the world during the Columbian Exchange, the most important effect of the Columbian Exchange was the exchange of crops. The production of sugarcane contributed to the need for slaves, one the tragic events in United States history. Also, tobacco saved Jamestown colony in the 1700’s from failing by providing wealth for the colony.
The new world had acres of land to cultivate crops, raise cattle and farm. In many cases, the Old World crops were grown much more industriously in the New World soils and climates than in Europe (Nunn). For example, by 1680 the sugarcane production was predominantly produced by the new world . With the large increase of supply there was also a large increase in demand. Sugar became available to even the lower class. Overall, caloric intake increased throughout the world. New world foods were also brought to Europe such as the potatoes. Potatoes soon became a staple in European diet that when there was a shortage in Ireland hundreds of people died from starvation. Demand for new world foods and more supply of common food from the Americas, increased the health and economy of
Besides the diseases and livestock brought to the Americas from Europe, Europeans also brought along new plants, including; grapes, peaches, oranges, melons, bananas, onions, radishes and a lot of green vegetables. In addition to these plants, Europeans also introduced cereal crops. With the introduction of wheat, Americans could not only feed themselves, but also export large amounts of grains throughout the world.
Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, with the motivation of finding the better trade route with Asia, gaining wealth from gold and fame over Portuguese as well as spreading Christianity sets sail from Spain in 1492. On October this year, he reached the Americas which later was confirmed as the “New World” compared with the “Old World” consisting of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Along with his voyage was the transformation of four popular factors including plants, animals, diseases, and human populations. In 1972, the American historian named Alfred W. Crosby used the term “Columbian Exchange” for this significant event. In general, the Columbian Exchange has not only changed Europeans and Native Americas ways of life but also helped to
The columbian exchange affected both Europe and North America, bringing different foods, diseases, animals and social aspects into both places, ultimately, changing them forever. Some changes were for the worse as the europeans brought diseases to the Americas that had never been there before, so the natives could not fend off the disease. Their immune systems were compromised, and massive quantities of people perished. The warfare that the Europeans brought also killed many natives, as they were not able to fight at an equal level, not knowing how to ride horses, wield metal shields or even lift the extreme weight of the sword. They only had what they could make of the simple items in nature, of wood and earth. The Europeans got the better
The Columbian Exchange is considered a very significant event because it helped the countries involved in it with food, crops, and animals. It was mainly an exchange between Africa, The Americas, and Eurasia. Christopher Columbus was the man who discovered the route of the Columbian Exchange and that’s why the exchange was called The Columbian Exchange.
The exchange of plants and animals between Europe and the Americas transformed economic activity on both sides of the Atlantic. Coco, corn, peanuts, potatoes, tobacco, bananas, cattle, diseases, horses, sugarcane, and wheat are a few items exchanged. Some aspects of the Columbian Exchange proved deadly. With no immunity to European diseases, the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America, such as the Aztec and Inca, were ravaged by smallpox, measles, and typhus. Many of them died.
Europe gained a new wave of crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, maze, and cassava. Europe was introduced to less caloric
It hasn't been that long since explorers from the Old World discovered there was a new world that awaited them. Including myself, I didn't expect for such world was beyond the oceans. I’m native and was one of the first people to see the boat of Christopher Columbus arriving to the shore. They have tried to make peace with us but I have this feeling like he’s meeting the wrong people. Everything has been going smoothly until the Columbian Exchange was created. Ever since the explorers have arrived, importing and deporting materials from the Old World, my people have decreased little by little and nobody knew what was causing it. Until it was revealed the explorers have introduced us diseases where we weren't immune to. Due to the explorers
The Age of Exploration was a time where the people of the Eastern hemisphere came over to the Western hemisphere, or The New World. The explorers were in search for a multiple number of things, which included, paths to Asia, raw gods, and new lands to conquer. While traveling, certain explorers landed upon the Americas, and the people of the Americas. This led to a series of interactions and adaptations in the New World. While many explorers were in search for one thing, that got a complete other.
When Christopher Columbus sailed back home from the Americas during his voyage during 1492 and 1493, Columbus would have not known that his items he possessed that were aboard his ship would revolutionize the world and shape the world as it is today. The Grand Exchange (also known as Columbian Exchange) is one of the most impactful events in history. This major event created a big effect on world ecology, agriculture, and culture. In the Grand Exchange there was enormous trade between the Old World and the New World. This exchange consisted of plants, animals, foods, people, slaves, diseases, and
Exploration in Europe was gaining popularity with people trying to make more room for themselves, and find a more profitable root to the East Indies. This was Christopher Columbus’s original mission before he stepped out of his boat on to the New World. His action kick started a great exchange of diseases, animals, and crops, otherwise known as the Columbian Exchange. This exchange did cause many deaths, but it was inevitable and benefited the New World and Old World with bountiful amounts of animals and crops that made life easier for everyone.