Columbian Exchange Essay

Submitted By Karl1223
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Pages: 4
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The Columbian exchange refers back to a period where there was a high increase in trade among different parts of the Old Worlds and the New Worlds. Many of the different cultures that were a part of the exchange both had obtained a number of things that came from outside of their homeland. From crops to disease, and many other technological advances, the impact of the Columbian change played a huge role in the further developments that were to come for Europe and the Americas. Though there were many positive things that were a result of the trade, many new ideas caused damage to the different cultures as well. The Americas adopted many things from Europe. One of the first few crops that came to America that was from Europe was wheat, rye, barley, oats, and millet. The first few crops that I mentioned had played a big role in their food economy, along with other opportunities that would arise for trade. If you think about it, both wheat and rye are still used in bread products today. The fact that these imports lasted for centuries only begins to show you how positively it impacted the culture. America now had their hands on a valuable crop that could be used, processed, and traded to other cultures in exchange for other items. Another valuable import from Europe was horses. When they were eventually brought to the Americas, many advances began happening almost immediately. Native Americans used horses as a means of traveling to find food and other supplies that were necessary for survival. Also, they were able to make working more efficient. Since the invention of the wheel was yet to come, it was important that the Native Americans had a big strong animal that was able to provide power to get things done more efficiently. For example, they could attach a huge plow to the back of a horse to help farm more efficiently. Certain advancements made the idea of cropping and trade much easier than old ways of doing so because they now had the materials and strength needed to proficiently get work done. In exchange for these goods, the Americas introduced the Europeans to a whole new world of gold. The gold that was made in America was later imported to Europe during the exchange. The novelty of gold would later introduce many new ideas to the European budget. It allowed for an economy that was based on gold currencies for the first time. This was also a huge adoption because it increased their trade with other countries that wanted gold. This was a very important item that the Europeans were able to use as a ticket that opened new opportunities within their homeland. Many diseases were given from the Europeans to the Americas, and vice versa. Both cultures suffered heavily from these diseases. The Europeans transmitted diseases of the new world like Smallpox, Measles, Malaria, Yellow fever, Influenza, and the Chicken Pox. You may thing that these diseases are pretty bad but the thing that made them so dangerous was the fact that they were so new to the Indians. This is dangerous because since the Indians had no exposure to certain illnesses, it made them extremely susceptible to getting disease. Another reason that this was so dangerous for them was because the
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