The Columbian Exchange - Essay Example

Columbian Exchange Introduction The Columbian exchange refers to the period between which exchange of cultural and the biological factors took place between the recent new and the former old worlds. These factors include the plants and animals, diseases and technology among others. They marked the transformation of the way Europeans and Americans led their daily lives activities. When this Columbus was discovered, far back in the year 1492, the years that followed were taken over by numerous discoveries in different fields. This led to great rates of expansion in the involved nations. To both sides of the Atlantic, there were great significant impacts by the Columbian Exchange, in terms of the social and cultural activities and believes. This situation also had several effects to various fields such as the forward motion in production of agricultural commodities, advancement in the education system, development of the warfare, higher death rates and many other areas in both sides, that is, Europeans and Native Americans. Body Due to reasons that are said to be beyond human understanding, this Exchange happened to cause effects that were in favor of the Europeans, while they seemed to be catastrophic to the inhabitants of America. This is up to date under researchers and further studies are currently proceeding towards finding out solutions. This Exchange therefore explains the reasons behind the collapsing of the Indian nations and, at the same time, the succeeding of the European colonies. It also shows how the European countries quickly stood out to be the wealthiest and the most powerful nations across the universe. This is the importance for making this study. It goes further in explaining what led to Africans being sold out to slavery (The Columbian Exchange). More to this, the Columbian Exchange helps people to understand why they speak in the language they use, why they live in the nations they do and why they eat foods that they eat, believe in what they believe in and practice their cultural practices. It therefore has a lot to do with the originality of so much theory in the lives of different citizens from different nations. Much of the American’s history embarks on the comprehension of this Exchange. It therefore has great history behind its understanding and some of it may be quite unbelievable as well as shocking to the modern generation, as no one existed during these occurrences. This is why many are urged to learn it in History and get informed about the origin of a larger percentage of their activities, cultural believes and even the powers of most nations over others. It is much important to keep track of one’s feeding habits, tactics of survival, economic activities and so on. The Columbians have a relation to the reasons as to why some countries defeated others in war and the inferiority behind those that were defeated. Having being favored by the Exchange, Europeans suffered so many changes but for the better as compared to the Americans who suffered similarly many changes but for worse conditions than they were in before the coming up of this Exchange (Shmoop University). According to Geology, originally, the earth had the different and separate land masses all combined to form one huge land mass which was known as the Pangaea. This is around two hundred and eighty million years ago. Later on, due to some tectonic forces, this huge land mass began separating into America, Africa and Eurasia. Separating them, an Ocean known as the Atlantic formed. As time passed, the biological evolution too happened in the American nations and the Afro-Eurasia, leading to the formation of two distinct biological worlds (Digital History). The two worlds were significantly different from one another and they signified the start of critical changes. However, a bridge that reunited the two radically different worlds was created by Christopher Columbus and his group, where they created land in the Bahamas in the year 1492. Much of the biological differences that were created by this continental drift were altered by the voyage of Christopher together with many other voyages that came with time. The animal, plant and bacterial compositions between these two worlds began mixing when Columbus arrived in the United States. This is the whole process that was named after Columbus and given the name the Columbian Exchange. This exchange has brought about amazing changes to the world, which are proving to be very long lasting. The root of this whole process therefore is said to be the reuniting the formerly different landmasses by a group of Historians. The reason as to why it is said that the whole process did not favor Americans is due to the fact that rapid changes that they were not used to took part in their nation, including the introduction of new diseases that seemed to greatly affect them, yet they were not at all used to these diseases. The outcome of this was therefore dangerous. Plants and animals were also newly introduced to pests and new weeds, as much as new livestock breeds and pets accompanied them. To the Eurasia and African countries, new types of foods and crops were introduced due to these changes and it took time for citizens of these different nations to get used to them. Though people took time to get used to this change, here it was a positive change as it brought about new types of foods and fiber crops, which later brought up and stimulated trade activities. This therefore favored the citizens in these nations. This change also led to negative effects to both sides. One these effects is the fact that it introduced drugs in these worlds such bas coffee, tea and sugar. These drugs have been found to alter the biology of people living here led to health degradation, thus interfering with world’s history (Mcneill). The flow of diseases took part in American states. The Americans of before had carried very few diseases with them mainly because they did not have domesticated animals which are much believed to be the root cause for numerous diseases such as small pox and measles. Moreover, in their journey to America, many Americans had travelled and exposed themselves to extreme cold, which helped in elimination of disease agents. They therefore had very few infections. On bringing livestock to the country, Americans began suffering from livestock related diseases. This therefore was greatly devastating and was brought about by the Columbian Exchange. More to just creating harm to the Americans, the Exchange also helped in balancing the biological factors for Americans by introducing livestock and plants in the nations. This helped Americans to get active in balancing diets during their meals and utilizing animal products. This therefore helped to contribute to the land’s beauty in America. Americans also distributed some diseases to those who lived in Eurasia, though not as much as the inhabitants of Eurasia did to the Americans. However, though the diseases from Americans were not many in numbers, they were more dangerous as compared to those that came along with the Eurasians (Overview of the Columbian Exchange). The Columbian Exchange also happens to have strengthened slavery in the United States. Here, slavery is the practice of holding someone or people bondage to offer labor services. However, it is known not to be the root cause of slavery here. The activity was going on before as it began during the world ancient civilization. Slaves were captured to work in different places. Some in mines, fields while others as servants in domestic households. Slaves were captured during war times and others were enslaved when they were sold out to pay off debts. Some slaves were well treated as they were allowed to marry and bear children then their children were allowed to enjoy freedom. They were also allowed to own property. Others however were harshly treated. When the Portuguese began enslaving Americans they came along with some plantations. Among these plantations were the sugar plantations, which demanded a lot of labor, thus, gathering many Africans to offer the services as slaves. This is the reason Columbian Exchange is found to have greatly stimulated slavery in the United States. It is counted as part of the many reasons why the whole process ended up favoring the Euros more than the Americans. In addition, through slavery, the Columbian exchange enabled various practices such as knowledge concerning farming to be brought to America and at the same time enabled some American crops to be made available in Africa. Such crops include sweet potatoes. Portugal and Spain still went ahead in setting up more plantations on the Islands in the eastern Atlantic. These plantations too needed workers to enhance growth of sugar. This is where slavery in Africa comes in, as it was Africans from traders in Africa that were captured to this slavery. This therefore shows the slavery outcome from the Columbian Exchange (Begins of Slavery in the Americas). Conclusion In conclusion therefore, the Columbian Exchange explains the originality of several changes and links between the American and the European countries. It explains the origin for some foods that different citizens take the origin of trade, Agriculture and many more activities. The history behind the formation of these two lands is amazing. The way they linked up is even more surprising. How trading began in the past is something that not many people pay attention to. Such important history is good to comprehend and keep in mind just to keep track of the evolution processes that happened in the years before any of the current generations lived. Works Cited Shmoop University. The Columbian Exchange. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://www.shmoop.com/columbian-exchange/ Digital History. Columbus & the Columbian Exchange. 12 Jun 2007. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/columbus/columbus_menu.cfm Mcneill, J. The Columbian Exchange. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-twoworlds/1866 The Columbian Exchange. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://public.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site19/ Overview of the Columbian Exchange. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://thecolumbianexchange.weebly.com/ Beginnings of Slavery in the Americas. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://www.csun.edu/~ae11859/documents/pdf/textbook/86_76-81.pdf Read More