Charles Mann and Jared Diamond about Columbus's Discovery of America - Essay Example

Writer Charles Mann has a different perspective on the story told. He highlights the activities that Columbus undertook in the years that followed his initial voyage which led to the creation of the New World. He goes on to state that when in 1492 Columbus crossed the Atlantic, it was his journey that prompted the exchange of not just information but that of food, livestock, insects, planets as well as viruses across the continents. This incident in Mann’s opinion has far more complex implications than one initially assumes.

It was a tremendous ecological convulsion of sorts which can correctly categorize as one of the greatest historical events after the death of dinosaurs. In certain ways he says, it was this event that underlines a huge chunk of history that is taught in schools today; starting from the Industrial Revolution to the Agricultural Revolution and even the rise of the West. All these incidents are can be put together in the same category, one that is called the “Columbian exchange.” Mann speaks about the world and how it changed after the voyage undertaken by Columbus’ in his publication by the name of “Uncovering the New World Columbus Created”.

He has elaborated on the literature of this book and based it as a sequel to another one of his publications which talks about pre-Columbian history. This publication is available by the name of “New Revelations of the Americans before Columbus.” In this book, he talks about the drastic changes brought on about Columbus’s intervention in the way things were. A basic example which one can look at is the fact that all the things we consider to be locally grown, were once considered native to the Americas.

Surprised? Let’s look at this example in more detail. Look at the vegetables that grow in your garden. Then inject the fact that not a single thing growing in your garden originates within a thousand miles to your house. The tomatoes that we grow or purchase came from Mexico. Basil originated from Italy. Even the Onions came from Europe.