What Role Did American Farming Play In The Columbian Exchange

1358 Words6 Pages
1. It was not merely a transfer of diseases, plants, and animals, nor was the transfer simply one sided. Diseases greatly reduced the Amerindian populations, while the Europeans brought home Amerindian diseases. Europeans brought food such as bananas and wheat that diversified Amerindian diets, while other crops like sugar cane were intended for cultivation with exploited labor. European horses, cattle, and pigs also affected Amerindian lives, while beaver and other fur-bearing animals influenced the exchange between Europeans and Amerindians. 2. The Catholic Church played a significant role in assimilating Amerindian peoples as well as the suppression of Amerindian traditional religious practice. Religion was an important force in the English…show more content…
Through the Columbian Exchange there were new varieties of plants, animals, and diseases that the Europeans transferred to the Americas. The new plants and animals had an enormous impact on the natural environment of the Americas. The new plants such as wheat, olives, grapes, rice, bananas, and sugar created a variety of dietary options. European livestock multiplied prolifically and destroyed land by trampling the land with their hooves. The introduction of cattle and horses specifically provided transportation and mobility in warfare in addition to hides and meat. In addition to the environment, European settlement transformed the economies and societies of the Americas profoundly. The introduction of Christian institutions and European government authority disrupted the traditional Amerindian cultural and political processes, destroying them, or at best suppressing them. The European impact also was intensely economic. By focusing efforts on either the extraction of mineral wealth or the production of cash crops, the Amerindian economic system was completely changed to suit the needs and demands of the European settlers. Traditional forms of hunting and gathering and agriculture were disrupted and Amerindians became dependent of European manufactured

More about What Role Did American Farming Play In The Columbian Exchange

Open Document