TRADE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN CAUSES SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL IMPACT

ON ESTABLISHED CULTURES.

The Colombian Exchange

What is the Colombian Exchange?

“The Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations (including slaves), communicable disease, and ideas between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.” (Wikipedia)

The Colombian Exchange

Things Europeans Received

Animals: Guinea pigs, llamas and turkeys.Plants: avocados, beans cashews, chili

peppers chocolate, corn, papayas, peanuts, pecans, pineapples, potatoes, rubber, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes and vanilla.

Things North America Received

Animals: Cattle, chickens, donkeys, goats, horses, housecats, mice and rats, pigs, rabbits and sheep.

Plants: Bananas, black pepper, citrus fruits, coffee, garlic and onions, lettuce, peaches and pears, sugar, wheat, rye and oats.

Diseases: Cholera, influenza (the flu), malaria, measles and smallpox.

Massive World Food Impact

It is estimated by scholars that the origins of 1/3 of the crops grown for food originated in the Americas.

Imagine the world without these crops!

Europeans Brought Diseases

When Europeans came to North America they were bringing something with them they didn’t realize they had. Diseases came with travelers on the ships and the Native Americans did not have any natural resistances built to the diseases that Europeans were unknowingly bringing over.

The North American population of Native Americans dropped from 2 million in 1492 to only 500,000 in 1900! This decline was largely due to disease.

Impact of Diseases

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Beasts of Burden

When Europeans settled in North America they brought with them some beasts of burden, which was one of the main benefits of the Colombian Exchange for Native Americans.

Slavery

“Because the Columbian Exchange brought disease to the Americas and killed most of the work force enslaved by the Europeans. They started using Africans. since there had been much contact between Europe and Africa disease wasn't really an issue. many tribes in Africa sold their countrymen into slavery for weapons and other status symbols” (Answers.com)

African Slave Trade

African slave trade devastated many African societies.

Before the slave trade ended in the 1800’s African lost at least 12 million people.

Tragedy of Slavery

African people were brought to North American and forced to labor for people who owned them like property.

The voyage from Africa was extremely dangerous and many captured slaves died on the journey, because they were kept in ships like stored cargo.

Far Reaching Impacts

These consequences bad and good, only scratch the surface of the world reaching impact The Colombian Exchange had on the world.