Effects of Columbian Exchange and How Did It Effect both the Americas and Europe Definition - Assignment Example

Mid Semester Exams SECTION A Question 3. Effects of Columbian Exchange and how did it effect both the Americas and Europe Definition Silverman (1987) defines Columbian exchange as the exchange of goods between the Europeans and the Americans. These goods include Animals, ideas, technology and even culture and the main purpose of this trade was to ensure that variety of products were available for the American and the European citizens. The idea of the Columbian exchange was brought about by the fact that different countries produce different products hence the need to exchange Columbian exchange had both positive and negative impact on the two countries. Effects of the Columbian Exchange on America and Europe Positive impacts One of the positive impact is that every country had new food supplies, and this gave its citizens variety of food. The other positive impact is that there was an exchange of ideas between the two countries on how to improve their production, and this led to the invention of new methods of farming. Ideas were also exchanged in all sectors including exchange of political ideas on the best manner of governance. Another positive effect is that it strengthened the ties between Europe and America as the two were now interdependent. This interdependency made it easier for the American citizens to travel to Europe without difficulties and vice versa. The strong ties between these two countries also created opportunities for citizens to explore the other country and understand the culture and lifestyle. The Colombian exchange did not only involve the exchange of tangible goods but also the intangible such as culture. Through interactions, the Europeans got to understand the culture of the Americans and with time they got to appreciate and embrace their culture as well as understand the differences that existed between the two cultures. Cultural exchange also made the Americans appreciate their own culture and understand the concept of cultural diversity. The Columbian exchange also led to an increase in human population in both countries and especially in America. This is mainly because of the introduction of new crops that ensured Food was more than enough to feed the large population. May (1976) outline that during the Columbian exchange period, the American population increased by 20% in a span of less than six years. The Columbian exchange also led to the creation of new markets for various products and this enhanced trade between the two countries. Production increased as farmers from both countries could now produce and get a market for their products. Introduction of drought resistant crops by the Europeans was another major boost to the Native Farmers. Fertilizers were also introduced, and this improved the crops and led to massive production in America. Another positive impact of the Columbian exchange was the introduction of religion by the Europeans. The Europeans had the desire to share their religion with the Americans and they emphasized on the importance of acknowledging the existence of a supernatural being. Though the Natives had their own religion, the Europeans sought to share their beliefs with the hope that they would convert and conform to their religion, which was Christianity (Silverman, 1987). Negative impacts One of the negative impact of Columbian exchange is that it brought about the slave trade as human labor was needed for transportation of goods from one country to another. According to John (1989) the Columbian exchange was the main reason as to why Native Americans were taken into slavery. The increase in population ensured that human labor was in plenty, and this was the origin of the slave trade. The natives were taken to work in European farms as slaves. The strong Men were selected and separated from their families as their labor was needed. This separation of families also forced women to become slaves because they had to provide for their families as their bread winners were snatched from them. Another negative impact of the Columbian Exchange is that the interactions between these two countries led to the spread of deadly diseases, and the Natives were the most affected. Diseases like Malaria were brought by the Europeans, and it killed many natives. This is because they lacked the strong immunity to fight these unfamiliar diseases. There was also spread of infections among animals due to the introduction of new animals. These animal infections could be sometimes affect the health of slaves that looked after these animals. Silverman (1987) outline that the Columbian exchange affected the agricultural sector. For instance, there were many pests that destroyed crops and killed a lot of livestock. There was the introduction of tumble weeds that destroyed plantations and posed a risk to human life as they were poisonous. Livestock exchange for Europe also brought about bed bugs and ticks that resulted to the spread of diseases. The Columbian exchange also led to the loss of the native culture as they now started adopting the European culture. The Native Americans had a very conservative culture, but these interactions with the Europeans made them abandon their own cultural beliefs and take up that of the Europeans. SECTION B Questions 3. Role of Women in the Revolution During the revolution era, women were responsible for taking care of their household to ensure that things were stable. This was the key responsibility of a woman and especially during this era most men had gone fight in the war leaving their women to manage homes. During the revolution period, there was a lot of competition between the local products and those imported from other countries. However women played a big role in protecting their local goods to ensure that they had the market. Patriotic women opted to continue with the traditional culture of weaving rather than purchase clothes from the British. This was a way of showing their resistance to the British. May (1976) outlines that the main aim of these women were to ensure that Americans stuck to their culture and opposed any sort of foreign rule in their own country. Despite the fact that women were not allowed to join the military, they posed as maids of the British in camps with the main of spying. They revealed sensitive information about the enemy to the military during the revolutionary war, and this boosted the American army. The army was always aware of planned attacks by their enemies, and they were never caught by surprise. Deborah Sampson was one of the influential women in the revolution, and she was known for her bravery and dedication. The likes of these women were admired by many as they were willing to risk their lives to serve their country. During the revolutionary war, women also engaged in political activities, and a good number of political activists were women. They formed organizations which ensured that there was transparency and fairness for all groups in society. Women were encouraged to participate in nation building activities to show unity in the revolutionary, this was the only way they could conquer the war. These organizations gained a lot of popularity, and many Americans came to join them as they reflected unity of purpose. Women also played a big role in enriching the health sector during this revolutionary era because of their services. Women were Nurses in military camps during this period, and this ensured that there was no shortage of health workers. Majority of these women were those whose husbands had joined the army, and they became lonely, and they opted to offer service to their country. At that time, nursing was a profession for women, and many enrolled to train as nurses. This was a major boost to the war as the injured soldiers could be treated with no difficulties. Another major role that women played during the revolution was to create awareness among other women on the importance of togetherness. They encouraged other women to make positive contributions to the society and ensure that they assist the American government achieve its objectives. Women groups were formed to educate women on their rights and the manner in which they can make contributions to society. John (1989) outline that women also advocated for the abolition of the slave trade. They were at the forefront to condemn slave trade and the psychological torture that slavery brought to its subjects. Women advocated for the rights of all human beings stating that all human beings were equal despite their skin color. For instance Martha Washington who was a wife to a senior official fought for the rights of women in society. She went ahead to challenge the American Government to ensure the rights of all individuals in society are protected. During this Era women sought a place in the society and they did this by struggling to join the male professional schools. Women were now enlightened, and this brought the desire to join the male dominated professions. During the revolution, women had the desire to serve their country in all manners possible, and that is why they wanted to join professions that were believed to be best suitable for men. Women also engaged in poetry, and the most famous female poet during the revolution was known as Phillis Wheatley among others. Her love for poetry drove her to write poems that addressed issues such as religion, morals and politics. The main aim of writing poems was to ensure that future generations understand the role that each party played in ensuring that America got its independence. Poetry needs a lot of creativity and many women were encouraged to bring in their ideas so as to improve on poetry. During this era women were considered the best poets and this was an indication that they had the potential that just needed nurturing. The revolution period came with a lot of changes for women and circumstances had forced them to take charge. For instance, many women lost their husbands during the war and this forced to take up both roles of being Mothers and fathers. Women became educated, and they were now in a position compete with men. They no longer belonged in the kitchen but had to be breadwinners for their family. Women also engaged in trade to earn themselves a living and some even sought political positions. According to Silverman (1987) despite that fact that the slave trade had had scattered Americans all over the world. American women kept their culture, and they avoided intermarriages with outsiders. Despite the fact that some women had been taken into slavery, they had the desire to see the country became independent. They ensure that their children knew their land of origin, and they still had the hope to return to their country. Women played a key role to ensure that independence was achieved, and the revolutionary period came with a lot of changes. Though the contributions of women were indirect, they were still essential. Many women became enlightened on their rights and the contributions that they could make to the country. The success of the military during the war was mainly because of the roles that women played. SECTION C Question 1. Reasons, as to why the Articles of Confederation failed. The main purpose of the Articles of Confederation was to ensure that every state retained its sovereignty and independence. States had the desire to have their own dependence and system of governance but there several hindrances to the success of this articles. May (1976) outlines that one of the reasons that led to the failure of these articles was the lack of economic organization. The nation was not ready for this step as there were a lot of things that were not in order. For instance, the country was straining financially because of the big debts. The country had borrowed from other countries in order to finance their fight for independence. It was therefore, difficult to implement the articles of confederation until the country was economically stable. The other reason that led to the failure was the fact that every state irrespective of its size was only allowed to have one vote in congress. This was unrealistic because states differed in size where some were bigger than others hence one vote in congress could not apply to all states. The only way this could be changed was by making alterations on the constitution and this meant that all Americans had to vote in favor of these alterations. Silverman (1987) outlines that another reason that led to the failure of the Articles of Confederation were mainly because the powers of the congress were limited. For instance, the congress did not have the power to tax or even determine the tax that the American citizens should pay. It was therefore, impossible for states to earn their sovereignty when the congress lacked the powers to exercise control over the state. The congress also did not have the powers to exercise control over issues that involved foreign affairs. This shows that the constitution failed to acknowledge the role of the congress hence the limitation in the powers that it had. The Articles of Confederation also failed because the United States lacked a court system and this made it difficult for anything to be implemented. A court system would have acted as a point of reference. The state sovereignty was a legal issue that was procedural and therefore could not be just discussed over the counter. The nation had to establish a court system to enable such articles to be passed. The other reason led to the failure of articles of confederation was the fact that not all states supported the idea. They argued that states could not independently govern themselves because of the unequal distribution of resources. For instance, some states had more resources that could generate income to sustain the state while some lacked these resources. It was, therefore not fair for states to became dependent when they not in a position to perform the same. Some argued that it was still early for the country to take such as a step because of the risks involved. Majority members of the congress had to vote in favor of articles for them to pass. According to John (1989) the national government failed to get support from a majority of the citizens and made this made it hard to implement the articles. For some people, they believed that this step would divide America and this could bring future problems. For some, they felt that this would destroy the dream of the Nations founders who fought very hard for the independence of America as a whole hence this division would be render their efforts useless. This made it difficult for the national government to work because all it got from the citizens was criticism. The articles of confederation also failed because earlier states had started acting independently where each state had its own currency and even military. However the major challenge was that the military of this individual state were weak. This made the United States a major target to the enemy. It was, therefore easier to form one strong government where each state could make contributions and make one a strong nation that could be able fight one common enemy. The other risk was that in future states may turn against each other because of boundary issues and resources as well. To avoid this, there should be one system of governance until states are strong and stable enough to survive independently (May, 1976). Some states had started signing treaties with foreign countries out of mere ignorance without looking into the effects the treaties would have on those states. There was a need to ensure that any agreements were made with the consent of the American citizens. This made it hard for the articles of confederation to work because leaders were signing deals for their personal interest rather than that of the citizens. For this reason, Most Americans preferred to be under one governance as it would be easier to monitor activities of the government. The rebellion in the state of Massachusetts was alarming to the leaders as it showed the problems that would arise in the future. This rebellion was mainly caused by the dissatisfaction that the Massachusetts residents had with their government. There was, therefore need to establish a central government where all states could be governed. This rebellion showed the future problems that could arise in various state and the effect that it would have on the American continent. The rebellion was an alert that there was a need to create a centralized government that could ensure that other states do not join Massachusetts in the rebellion. Sovereignty of states was seen to have more disadvantages than advantages because it gave states the power to set their own rules which their citizens would have to comply. Silverman (1987) also outlined another reason for the failure of this articles was the lack of unity of purpose. He states that each state had its own reasons to why they want to gain sovereignty and there was no common goal. For instance, the state of Massachusetts wanted to pull out from the United States union so that it could change some of its laws. The confederation articles were definability bound to fail because of the contention that existed between the states that were for it and those that were against it. References Silverman, K, A Cultural History of the American Revolution, New York: Columbia University Press, 1987. May, H. The Enlightenment in America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. John, H. African American Invention and Innovation, Washington D.C: Smithsonian Press. 1989 Read More