columbian exchange - mr. johnston's social studies...
TRANSCRIPT
Columbian Exchange
Columbian Exchange And…
How did it change the World?
• What is the
Discovery of the America’s
• The Columbian Exchange resulted from
the discovery and exploitation of the
America’s in particular, but also due to
European expansion to other parts of the
world.
Impact on Native Americans
• Europeans were learning of the profitability of
the plantation system – relying on what?
– Economic benefit of using local forced labor
• Disease – Europeans, unknowingly brought
measles, mumps, chickenpox, smallpox,
typhus and others.
• The local people had no built-up natural
immunity to these diseases yet.
Impact on Africans
• With decline of native work force, labor was
needed from elsewhere.
• Slave trade exploded, especially in W. Africa
Over the next 300 years (1500-1800) appx
10 million people were taken
Impact on Europeans • Europeans began to cross the Atlantic
creating one of the largest voluntary migrations in world history.
• Overseas expansion inflamed national rivalries in Europe causing conflict.
– Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494 (Spain Vs. Portugal)
• Growth of trade markets completely changed the world.
The introduction of beasts of burden to the Americas was a significant
development from the Columbian Exchange. The introduction of the horse
provided people in the Americas with a new source of labor and transportation.
• Voyages launched large-scale contact between Europe and Americas.
• Interaction with Native Americans led to sweeping cultural changes.
• Contact between the two groups led to the widespread exchange of plants,
animals, and disease—the Columbian Exchange.
• Plants, animals developed in very
different ways in hemispheres
• Europeans—no potatoes, corn,
sweet potatoes, turkeys
• People in Americas—no coffee,
oranges, rice, wheat, sheep, cattle
The Exchange of Goods
The Columbian Exchange
• Arrival of Europeans in Americas
changed all this
• Previously unknown foods taken back
to Europe
• Familiar foods brought to Americas by
colonists
Sharing Discoveries
Different Foods
• Exchange of foods, animals had dramatic impact on later societies
• Over time crops native to Americas became staples in diets of
Europeans
• Foods provided substantial nutrition, helped people live longer
Italian Food Without Tomatoes?
• Until contact with Americas, Europeans had never tried tomatoes
• Most Europeans thought tomatoes poisonous
• By late 1600s, tomatoes had begun to be included in Italian
cookbooks
Economics and Gastronomics
• Activities like Texas cattle ranching, Brazilian coffee growing not
possible without Columbian Exchange; cows, coffee native to Old
World
• Traditional cuisines changed because of Columbian Exchange
Effects of the Columbian Exchange
The Exchange can be positive
or negative in its effects
• In the exchange that started along the coast of
Newfoundland and was made widespread by
Columbus, disease was the most negative for
the Native American population
• Fatality rate over a period of two to three
generations was 95% for many tribal groups
• In some cases, the fatality rate could be 100
percent
Most Europeans believed that it
was God’s will Native
Americans died
• No germ theory at the time of contact.
• Illness in Europe was considered to be the
consequence of sin
• Indians, who were largely “heathen” or
non-Christian were regarded as sinners
thus subject to illness as a punishment
Devastating Impact
• Native American population continued to decline for centuries
• Inca Empire decreased from 13 million in 1492 to 2 million in
1600
• North American population fell from 2 million in 1492 to
500,000 in 1900—but disease not only factor in decrease of
population
• Intermittent warfare, other violence also contributed
The Introduction of New Diseases
• Native Americans had no natural resistance to European diseases
• Smallpox, measles, influenza, malaria killed millions
• Population of central Mexico may have decreased by more than 30
percent in the 10 years following first contact with Europeans
Old World Diseases
• European disease was particularly virulent
• Smallpox, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, chicken pox, bubonic plague, scarlet fever and influenza were the most common diseases
• Nearly all of the European diseases were communicable by air and touch.
• The pathway of these diseases was invisible to both Indians and Europeans
Effects Widespread
Effects of Columbian Exchange felt not only in Europe, Americas
• China
– Arrival of easy-to-grow, nutritious corn helped population grow tremendously
– Also a main consumer of silver mined in Americas
• Africa
– Two native crops of Americas—corn, peanuts—still among most widely grown
• Scholars estimate one-third of all food crops grown in world are of American origin
• Wealth measured by amount of gold, silver possessed by nation
• Mercantilists believed there was fixed amount of wealth in world
• For one nation to become wealthier, more powerful—had to take wealth, power away from another nation
• Mercantilism led to intense competition between nations
Intense Competition
• Founding of colonies, new goods in Europe led to significant changes
• 1500s, Europeans developed new economic policy, mercantilism
• Nation’s strength depended on its wealth
• Wealthy nation had power for military and expanded influence
New Economic Policy
Mercantilism
• Mercantilists built wealth primarily in two ways —
•extract gold, silver from mines at home, in colonies (Bullionism);
•sell more goods than it bought from foreign countries, creating
favorable balance of trade
• With favorable balance of trade, country received more gold, silver
from other nations than it paid to them
• Increased its power; weakened foreign competitors
• To achieve favorable balance of
trade, could reduce amount of
imports by placing tariffs on
goods
• Importer paid tariff, added cost to
price of good
• Imported goods more expensive,
discouraged people from buying
Imports
• Encourage exports that could sell
for higher prices than raw
materials
• Countries encouraged
manufacturing and export of
manufactured goods
• Governments provided subsidies
to help start new industries
Exports
Balance of Trade
Controlling Sources
Third approach for favorable balance of trade,
Controlling Sources
• Nation that controlled their own sources would not need to import from competing nations
• Why important
– Country did not need to spend own money to obtain raw materials
– Foreign countries considered rivals, might become active enemy, cut off supply of raw materials
• European nations worked to become more self-sufficient
• Nations began to establish colonies
Building colonial empires essential to mercantilist system
• European powers wanted to
establish colonies
– To control sources of raw
materials
– To provide new markets for
manufactured goods
• To mercantilist, colonies existed
only to benefit home country
Colonies
• Monarchs restricted economic
activities in colonies
• Colonists could not sell raw
materials to other countries
• Could not buy manufactured
goods from other nations
• Strict laws forbade colonies from
manufacturing goods
• Forced to buy only from home
country
Strict Laws
Colonies
Summarize
What were the main principles of
mercantilism?
Answer:
•nation's strength depended upon its wealth;
•needed a favorable balance of trade
Commercial Revolution
• What: The transition (change) from Mercantilism & then to Capitalism is referred to as the
COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION
• When: 16th -17th centuries
• Who/Where: Europeans & European countries & colonies
• Why?: changes in commerce (trade) & money making methods
Changes in the power structure between countries
• Why Care?:Influenced today’s financial dealings (the way we do business)
Commercial Revolution
• CAUSE:
– new wealth + dramatic growth in overseas trade
= new business and trade practices
• EFFECTS:
– set the stage for the development of CAPITALISM
– Basis of today’s financial practices
New Ventures
• Overseas business ventures often
too expensive for individual
investors
• Investors began pooling money in
joint-stock companies
Shares
• Profit, loss based on number of
shares owned
• If company failed, investors lost
only amount invested
Joint-Stock Companies
• Investors bought shares of stock
in company
• If company made profit, each
shareholder received portion
Financing Colonies
• British East India Company, one of
first joint-stock companies
• 1600, imported spices from Asia
• Others formed to bear cost of
establishing colonies
New Business Organizations
Increasing trade between Europe and colonies created new business and
trade practices during the 1500s and 1600s. These practices would have a
great impact on the economies of European nations.
• In capitalism, most
economic activity
carried on by private
individuals,
organizations in order
to seek profit
• During this time,
capitalism expanded
Capitalism Emerges
• Individuals amassed
great trade fortunes
• Merchants supplied
colonists with
European goods
• Returned products,
raw materials
Overseas TRADE
• Overseas trade made
many merchants rich
• Wealth enabled them
to invest in more
business ventures
• Business activity in
Europe increased
greatly
Increased
BUSINESS ACTIVITY
The Rise of Capitalism
So… What is CAPITALISM • Economic System based on:
– private ownership &
– investment of wealth
– maximization of profit
– Free Trade
• Cause: overseas colonization & trade = lots of merchants became rich.
– And… they continued to invest in trade to get richer (increase profits)
– AND then… they re-invested more to get even more profit.
Mercantilism was not a Free Market Economic System
• Generally, a society is capitalist if:
1.) The means of production are privately owned and operated for
profit.
2.) Money is used instead of barter
3.) There is a free labor market
4.) Decisions regarding investment are made privately
5.) Production and distribution is primarily controlled by companies
each acting in their own interest
• The Merchants system which operated under the Columbian
Exchange was not truly capitalist as many decisions were made by
governments and not by private industry and much of the labour
used was slave based and not free market. Additionally, self
sufficiency was the goal, not finding the lowest cost alternative and
the maximization of profits.