The Great Food Migration - Essay Example

The newcomers were trying to create a familiar environment and so they brought with them different crops and animals such as rice, wheat, sheep, goats, and chickens. Thus adding new species to the new world and dramatically changing its socioeconomic and cultural identity. The newcomers also introduced their own military hardware, such as swords, armor, and guns, in the new world. That superior military equipment and weapons were used to control the Native American population. The horse, for example, was alien to the new world.

In fact, it was even bigger than any of the locally available domesticated animals. It was used by the invaders to terrify the natives in battle. However, the local Americans quickly adopted the animal and learned to use its power effectively against the very same people who introduced it. By the end of the 16th century, the horse became one of the symbols of Native American culture. Humans, animals, and Agricultural products were the obvious agents of change. However, they were not the only players on the field.

Along with all new arrivals, different pathogens and diseases traveled across the Atlantic to the new world. Malaria, smallpox, influenza, and measles all attacked the natives who were lacking the necessary biological defenses. As a result of this unexpected micro-biological invasion, thousands lost their lives. The disease was not the only invisible entity that accompanied the European invasion. The newcomers also brought their own culture and lifestyle along. That had a notable effect on the local customs and social structure.

The years following the European contact witnessed an increase in the rates of tuberculosis among all generations in the new world. That was related to the prevailing social conditions. Suffering from war, social disorder, and the spread of smoking and alcoholism contributed to the spread of chronic diseases among the natives, and that effectively reduced their reproduction ability. Although the Colombian exchange was beneficial to Europe, It had a destructive effect on the new world civilizations and their social and economic systems.