COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE

• Transfer of new diseases, food, plants, and animals between the Eastern and Western hemispheres
• environmental phenomena
• • Americas geography made indigenous not immune to disease so they got sick really easily.
• Diseases caused the Great Dying
• Great Dying

  the reduction of population of indigenous
• food and plants

  • Greatly affected populations both in the new world and the old world
  • Intermingling of cultural foods
  • Europeans gave rice, wheat, olives, sugar, grapes, bananas
  • Indigenous gave potatoes and maize which contributed to longer lifespans and healthier population
  • Cash cropping and animals, like horses, were significant
• cash crop

  • method of agriculture that focuses on growing crops, usually a single crop, primarily for export
  • EX: Sugar Cane
• Horse was significant bc it gave indigenous ppl more food and transportation to hunt buffalos
• What were the indigenous communities like before the Columbian Exchange?

  • They were thriving on their population
• Why were Indigenous Americans so vulnerable to diseases?

  • Bc of their geographical location. They were isolated from Eurasia, so they did not experience diseases like the Black Death. Therefore, they were not immune or accustomed to the diseases like the Eurasian people were. Additionally, animals were main sources of diseases like measles and smallpox, but they did not domesticate that many until the Columbian Exchange
• How did epidemic diseases affect the environment and the economy?

  • forests regrew and animals began to flourish again
  • bc there were less ppl, there were shortages of labor in the anericas. this resulted in the atlantic slave trade
  • brought more diseases like malaria & yellow fever
• What animals were domesticated by humans in the Americas before the Columbian Exchange?

  • llamas & alpacas
• What animals were domesticated by humans in the Americas before the Columbian Exchange?

  • llamas & alpacas
• What animals were domesticated by humans in the Americas after the Columbian Exchange?

  • horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pits, and more
• The Americas foods was a huge health benefactor for Europe and overall helped them improve population
• just look at the image

  
• Horses had a huge effect on the Indigenous American economies and culture. Buffalo hunting became far more efficient when done on horseback
• • Cattle became important in Indigenous American society for meat, tallow, hide, and transportation
• • wheat was a key crop the europeans brought over
• • high demands for cash crops like suagr, coffee, tobacco, and cotton led to large-scale production 
• • europeans needed massive labor system to sustain their large-scale productions, so they imported enslaved ppl
• • bc of deaths lf many indigenous ppl, the europeans dealt with that problem by forcibly bringing enslaved people from West Africa to the Americas to work on plantations (altnatic slave trade)
• • encomienda was part of the colonial Spanish legal system used to control the Indigenous American labor force, and it was a form of enslavement
• • Sugar was the primary cash crop in the Americas
  • required significant labor to produce
  • The Spanish crown mandated sugarcane cultivation for land grants
• • Hispaniola was a major center for sugar production
• • Hispaniola and the Caribbean islands were key locations for sugar cultivation
• • The demand for labor led to the establishment of forced labor systems, notably the slave trade
• What effects did the ColumbianExchange have on the global biological landscape?

  • The Columbian Exchange had significant effects on the global biological landscape by facilitating the exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. This led to the introduction of new species to different ecosystems, altering biodiversity and ecosystems worldwide
• What were the demographic effects of the Columbian Exchange in the Americas?

  • The demographic effects included a drastic decline in indigenous populations due to the introduction of diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza. This demographic catastrophe led to depopulation, social disruption, and cultural changes among indigenous societies
• In what context were Europeans able to take over Aztec and Inca lands?

  • Europeans were able to take over Aztec and Inca lands due to several factors, including advanced military technology (such as guns and cannons), alliances with indigenous groups opposed to Aztec and Inca rule, superior organizational skills, and the devastating impact of diseases on indigenous populations
• How did animals from Afro-Eurasia impact the Americas?

  • they transformed indigenous economies and societies by providing new sources of labor, transportation, food, and materials
• Out of the four categories discussed— disease, animals, plants, and people— which had the biggest effect on Afro-What were some of those cultural and demographic effects?

  • the spread of disease had the biggest effect on Afro-Eurasian impact on the Americas. Diseases brought by Europeans, to which indigenous populations had no immunity, led to the decimation of millions of indigenous peoples, altering the demographic landscape and shaping the course of histor
• Initially, the Columbian Exchange led to the decimation of the population of the Americas, mostly as a result of disease. How did this pattern of demographic decline change over time?

  • over time, some indigenous populations developed partial immunity to these diseases, and European colonization efforts brought new waves of immigrants, resulting in demographic changes and the reshaping of societies in the Americas
• What were the principal global effects of the Columbian Exchange?

  • The principal global effects included the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. This facilitated the globalization of trade, cultural exchange, and the formation of new hybrid societies. Additionally, the Columbian Exchange transformed diets, agriculture, and economies worldwide, leading to long-term social, political, and environmental changes
• Effects of the Columbian Exchange on the East

  1. Introduction of American crops such as maize, potatoes, and tomatoes improved food security and nutrition
  2. Exchange of ideas and knowledge spurred scientific and cultural advancements
  3. Increased global trade and interconnectedness reshaped economies and societies
• Effects of the Columbian Exchange on the West

  1. Introduction of European diseases devastated indigenous populations
  2. Introduction of new crops such as wheat, rice, and sugarcane transformed agricultural practices
  3. Establishment of European colonies led to cultural assimilation and displacement of indigenous peoples
  4. Adoption of European technologies and livestock revolutionized local economies
• Causes of the Columbian Exchange

  1. Exploration and Expansion
  2. Desire for Wealth
  3. Spread of Ideas
  4. Agricultural Advancements
  5. Population Movements
• Exploration and Expansion

  European explorers sought new trade routes to Asia and inadvertently discovered the Americas
• Desire for Wealth

  Europeans sought valuable resources such as gold, silver, and spices
• Spread of Ideas

  Contact between cultures led to the exchange of ideas, technologies, and knowledge