Argument - Essay Example

Impact of Global Interaction to Americas and Africa Global interactions started from around 3000 BC with commercial networks linking Asia, Oceania, North Africa and Europe. The exchange of goods through commerce later led to the exchange of people leading to the development of social and cultural relations. There was exchange of language, culture and education. In the 15th century Americas was finally linked to the rest of the world during the maritime evolution. The consequences of this can be broadly classified as economic, environmental, political and cultural.
The Spanish created one of the biggest empires in Europe by conquering Americas. They were able to do so because of their advance military and naval technology compared with the natives’. The natives didn’t have exposure to the viral or bacterial diseases the Spanish had with them this led to their dead in large numbers. The locals who resisted their rule were captured and sold as slaves in plantations (Todorov 30).
The main reason for European invasion of Africa in the fifteenth to seventeenth century was trade and specifically human trade. By this time most of Africa’s traditional institutions were unaffected. Trade between the European and Africans led to the development of towns in the coastal regions. The Africans were also introduced to commodities like salt, weapons and clothes. The Dutch were the first to establish permanent colonies around1652 in South Africa. Later in the nineteenth century, European explorers discovered that Africa contained exploitable resources like gold, silver, iron and was fertile for agricultural production. This led to the Scramble of Africa.
There was exchange of ideas, values and practices as a result of trade and colonisation. Missionaries had an important role to play in the integration of European culture into Africa and Americas. The colonisation of Africa and Americas led to the introduction of Christianity to these societies. The people were forced to abandon their cultural practices since they were considered primitive. There was the introduction of formal education. The natives were taught the languages of their colonial master, arithmetic and science (Cowen 145).
The political systems of the Americas and African communities were disregarded. The Europeans also made boundaries that divided communities and even families. The natives were forced to accept the rule of their conquerors and pay taxes which were usually oppressive.
The other consequence of European conquest was ecological destruction of the Indies and Africa. The settlers cut down the indigenous plants and tree to create land for establishment of large plantations for growing crops like sugarcane. They also introduced animals not indigenous to the area like pigs, cattle, mules, sheep and horses destroyed the fertile environment. The Europeans also established mines to meet the demand for minerals and metals.
There are however some positive consequences to the European conquest like the introduction of advanced agricultural practices to the conquered areas ensuring increase in food production. The European also came with advanced communication and transportation media like the railway and telegraph that were previously not available. There was introduction of medicine that reduced the incidence of death like the invention of quinine to cure malaria.
References
Cowen, T. Creative destruction: How globalisation is changing the worlds cultures .Princeton:
Princeton University Press. 2002. Print.
Todorov, T. The conquest of America. The Question of the Other. Oklahoma: University of
Oklahoma press.1999.Print. Read More