The Columbian Exchange
What impact did the Columbian Exchange have on American culture?
Columbus’ voyages to North America helped develop an exchange between the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia) and the New World (North and South America) called the Columbian Exchange. This exchange had many positive and negative effects. It created different ways of life across the world.
The Columbian Exchange had many positive effects. European settlers from the Old World introduced wheat, rice, coffee, horses, pigs, cows, and chickens to lands in North America. Native Americans taught Europeans how to grow corn, potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, and squash through teamwork and observations. The introduction of horses in the New World significantly affected the way Plains Native Americans moved and hunted. Horses allowed the Plains Native Americans to move faster to hunt and travel with buffalo. Maize and manioc from the New World replaced traditional African crops as Europe’s most popular foods. Sweet potatoes and maize contributed to the population growth of Asia too.
The Columbian Exchange also had many negative effects. One of the main negative effects of the Columbian Exchange was that diseases, such as diphtheria, measles, smallpox and malaria, carried by explorers and later the settlers, killed many Native Americans. When Native Americans died in large numbers from these diseases, European settlers needed a new source of slaves. Because so many Native Americans died, the demand for African slaves and the slave trade increased. The exchange of plants, animals and diseases is known as the Columbian Exchange.
Columbus’ voyages to North America helped develop an exchange between the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia) and the New World (North and South America) called the Columbian Exchange. This exchange had many positive and negative effects. It created different ways of life across the world.
The Columbian Exchange had many positive effects. European settlers from the Old World introduced wheat, rice, coffee, horses, pigs, cows, and chickens to lands in North America. Native Americans taught Europeans how to grow corn, potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, and squash through teamwork and observations. The introduction of horses in the New World significantly affected the way Plains Native Americans moved and hunted. Horses allowed the Plains Native Americans to move faster to hunt and travel with buffalo. Maize and manioc from the New World replaced traditional African crops as Europe’s most popular foods. Sweet potatoes and maize contributed to the population growth of Asia too.
The Columbian Exchange also had many negative effects. One of the main negative effects of the Columbian Exchange was that diseases, such as diphtheria, measles, smallpox and malaria, carried by explorers and later the settlers, killed many Native Americans. When Native Americans died in large numbers from these diseases, European settlers needed a new source of slaves. Because so many Native Americans died, the demand for African slaves and the slave trade increased. The exchange of plants, animals and diseases is known as the Columbian Exchange.
Documents
4-2.1_columbian_exchange_iet.pdf |
4-2.1_columbian_exchange_iet.docx |
Sources
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/IeIPE1dbAfwmlOXpeY-X-ScWOfs=/fit-in/1072x0/https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/Columbus-Exchange-New-World-arrival-520.jpg
Image 2: http://elearning.nccsc.k12.in.us/pluginfile.php/152774/mod_resource/content/1/Columbian%20Exchange% 20Discovery%20Education%20Diagram.jpg
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/IeIPE1dbAfwmlOXpeY-X-ScWOfs=/fit-in/1072x0/https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/Columbus-Exchange-New-World-arrival-520.jpg
Image 2: http://elearning.nccsc.k12.in.us/pluginfile.php/152774/mod_resource/content/1/Columbian%20Exchange% 20Discovery%20Education%20Diagram.jpg