Columbian Exchange Essay

308 Words2 Pages
What is the Columbian Exchange? The Columbian Exchange refers to a period of cultural and biological exchanges between the New and Old Worlds. Exchanges of plants, animals, diseases and technology transformed European and Native Americans ways of life. Beginning after Columbus` discovery in 1492 the exchange lasted throughout the years of expansion and discovery. The Columbian Exchange impacted the social and cultural makeup of both sides of the Atlantic. Advancements in agriculture production, evolution of warfare, increased mortality rates and education are just a few examples of the effect of the Columbian Exchange on both Europeans and Native Americans. The Columbian Exchange influenced technological advances in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Native Americans were impacted more by the technological transition. The most notable of these changes were a written alphabet, new farming capabilities, new firearm and weapon capabilities and architectural ingenuity. It is also, important to realize that the Columbian exchange can also be credited for the transmission of diseases. According to Alfred Crosby, “the migration of man and his maladies is the chief cause of epidemics. And when migration takes place, those creatures who have beer genetic material has been least tempered by the variety of world diseases”. Next, the plants involved in the exchange changed both the economy and the culture of New and Old Worlds. Lastly, the passage from the New and Old World in the Columbian Exchange was made by animals as well as humans. Both the non-domesticated and the domesticated animals made an impact on the New World. For example some of these were the transformation of the grasslands and made labor more productive. The difference between the animals on the different sides of the Atlantic was extraordinary. In conclusion, the Columbian Exchange was the exchange of

More about Columbian Exchange Essay

Open Document