The Columbian Exchange

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During the peak years of exploration for the Old World in Spain and Portugal, technology was advancing, trade was flourishing and the economy was building, but why? The Columbian Exchange had played an enormous role in creating these advancements for the New and Old World of Europe and the American Colonies. The Columbian Exchange began in the midst of the 15th and 16th centuries, marking the beginning of dispersion of ideologies, religion, plants, trade routes, and even diseases from the Old World. The Columbian Exchange created a massive turning point in history due to the large amounts of diseases spread throughout the world, the different species of animals and crops being introduced to new countries and the variety of cultures being …show more content…
Crops such as potatoes, grain, maize, and beans were introduced to the Old World from Central America and North America by the Natives. With the spread of crops and plants, this was an introduction to a global economy in which the Old World would introduce new resources and products in exchange for resources and crops that originated in the New World. The exchange of animals such as cattle, horses, and pigs from the Old World, caused Natives to be introduced to new ways of transportation and new hunting techniques by riding on horseback. Not only did Europe and the Americas exchange crops and animals, but Africa was the final piece of the puzzle of trade during the Columbian Exchange, distributing sugar, rice, and the shipping of African slaves to the New World for work in the tobacco fields. The spread of animals and crops is a massive turning point in history due to the diminishing of species and types of crops in the New and Old World, and creating a global trading system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Furthermore, the distribution of crops to the Old and New Worlds caused cultural diffusion throughout the world by the use of different foods in recipes and and the different ways of life Europeans and Natives had learned from each …show more content…
Their cultural lifestyle on a day to day basis revolved around agriculture, which is the practice of farming and cultivation of crops and plants. With the global economy in place the Native Americans were receiving horses in exchange for crops from their agricultural land. These horses changed the Native American lifestyle by shifting their practice of agriculture to a nomadic lifestyle in which Natives move place to place, in search of food and shelter. With the Europeans highly advanced in the terms of warfare and battle, they had produced weapons such as swords and guns which Native Americans had never seen. When the Europeans arrived, the Native Americans were fascinated by the pieces of weaponry and used them as their advantage, changing their ways of life towards hunting and gathering. European traditions also leaked into the lives of Native Americans since they were captured and held captive by the Spanish. Cultural practices such as Catholicism and Christianity were among the lives of many, shifting their beliefs towards God. The cultural diffusion during the Columbian Exchange was a massive turning point in history due to the change in the Native American lifestyle and the impact on Native American lives with the advancements in technology by the
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