Columbian Exchange Research Paper

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The settlement and invasion of the New World by the Europeans brought upon natives Americans a new form of religion, subjugation, forced labor, as well as infectious disease. Studies have demonstrated extensively that Native Americans were not exposed to these infectious diseases until the invasion of white explorers in the Americas. Historians believed that the depopulation of Natives Americans was symptomatic of a huge cultural as well as demographic transaction between Europe and Native Americans known as a “Columbian Exchange”. It was essentially a better exchange for Europeans as they usurped food (chilies, potatoes). They also seized silver, gold, trade, animals as well as technology. On the other hand Natives Americans received in return …show more content…
In the 1530s, Jacques Cartier was sent to explore the coast of the Newfoundland and the St Lawrence River. His mission was also to find out if trips to the Asian were possible. In addition to exploring some of Canada, he tied pleasant relationship with the Indians. Unfortunately for him, he discovered that St Lawrence River did not lead to Asia nor was there any gold left. He and some others colonizers had a mission of creating an everlasting European settlement at Cap-Rouge. The mission was unsuccessful due to bad weather and Indians rebellion. The demand for a thriving fur business was apparent in all of Europe. France realized early on that North America had a great potential for fur.
In 1608, Samuel de Champlain started the earliest settlement of New France and Quebec City in today Canada. Champlain started trading with the Indians over beaver pelts and other animals’ skins. The “Beaver Wars” was one of the deadliest wars in North American history. It was a war between the Iroquois and the French. Consequently, less than 3000 French left the Northern America in 1663. By 1700, the Jesuit missionary after the death of Champlain wanted to establish a new religion. They believed in the Tekakwitha who was a Catholic saint. They were called the coureurs de …show more content…
Europeans view themselves superiors to Native Americans because they thought they possess a superior culture. They have a monotheistic religion that they sought to spread in the Americas. The Europeans have in common, a purpose of gaining new land in an unknown new world. They also were in quest for fortune. They furthermore wanted to spread Christianity. They justified their exploration in religious and economics means. They also had an objective of trading with their Indians counterpart. Indians on the other hand remained nomadic hunters and food gatherers in wandering, egalitarian communes, others began to live as Zinn noted in his book “in more settled communities where they can have access to more food. They were using irrigation canals, dams, and were doing ceramics, weaving baskets and making cotton cloth. They also have extended in the Ohio River a Montbuilders culture consisting of building enormous sculpture out of earth shaped as human, birds or serpents or fortifications” (Zinn 19). Women are respected in Iroquois society. Families were matrilineal. They always thought the land belonged to them and thought it was an invasion for Europeans to come and usurp their land. They ended up changing their lifestyle for they realized they needed fire pen and other usable materials. They got engaged in trading with the Europeans as they knew it was important for their social being. Unlike Europe,
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