Columbian Exchange Legacy

Words: 723
Pages: 3

There are many aspects that are essential to consider in order to understand the legacy of Christopher Columbus. To introduce, the Columbian Exchange impacted trade through livestock and crops, despite the germs and diseases in the Old and New World. As well as, how the Columbian Exchange impacted Europe. Along with how the Columbian Exchange impacted the Native American Population. Therefore, despite the diseases that came with trade in the Old and New World, the result of the Columbian Exchange was mostly positive because of the trade and power the Europeans gained. To start off, despite the germs and diseases, the Columbian Exchange impacted trade in the Old and New world with its crops and livestock. It should be noted, “With no immunity to European diseases, the indigenous peoples of Mexico and …show more content…
Furthermore, The Columbian Exchange impacted the Native American population by bringing deadly diseases as well as destroying their home when the Europeans found the New World. First off, “The harsh working conditions under the system contributed to a drastic decline in the Native American population,” (17.3 RNA, pg.1). This quote shows how Spanish landowners took full use of a system called the encomienda system, which forced Native Americans to pay off taxes and provide labor. To add on, many Native Americans died during the recovery of the United States. This states that in a graph by a Cherokee-American anthropologist, Russell Thornton, there is a significant decrease in the Native American population over several years because of how their culture was targeted by Europeans, as the recovery of the United States starts happening. Russell Thornton published this in his book “American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1492,” which oversimplifies the decline of the Native American