preview

Cause And Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

Decent Essays

The Columbian Exchange began after the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the Western Hemisphere across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. The Columbian exchange is the exchange of people, animal, plants, and diseases between the Old World and New world. Many of those things went to the Old World which was Europe conversely many things came to the New World, the Americas, as well. Although both worlds benefitted from the Columbus Exchange, in reality the Old world benefitted more. When the European travelers came to America they brought over may diseases including small pox, influenza, measles, and Scarlett fever. The Native Americans had never been exposed to these diseases before consequently they did not have antibodies to fight of these diseases which meant that many people would die from the exposure to the various diseases. The introduction of these diseases created a high death toll in the Native American population, killing more than half of the original population. In addition, Europeans introduced horses and livestock to the environment of the new world. The horses were effective form of transportation that enabled many Indians to improve their lifestyles. The introduction of horses to plains Indianas, for example, enabled them to hunt bison with far better results, they were able to hunt more bison with the use of horses. Horses also enabled them to be more nomadic, the Indians were able to carry more items far further distances and able to move around more. The addition of livestock such as cattle in the Americas added to the food supply of the Americas. The livestock provided more food containing protein and other minerals. The introduction of horses and livestock mainly benefited the Indians' lives. Along with the introduction of livestock, rice and sugar were also brought to the New World from the Old world. Rice and sugar created a better food supply similar to the livestock. The sugar and rice added a variety to the food already in the New world. The introduction of rice in the New World enabled many farmers to grow it in the New World and transport it back to the Old World, creating a great profit. Additionally weapons and guns were traded with the Native Americans. The Native Americans had

Get Access