Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange

• Transfer of diseases, plants, animals, minerals, and people between the Old and New World.

Diseases

• Since people throughout Afroeurasia had been in contact for thousands of years, they developed immunity. However, the diseases Europeans introduced were devastating due to the isolation of the indigenous people of the Americas.

• The Spanish introduced smallpox to the Caribbean in 1518, and it proved to be one of the most devastating diseases among the indigenous people of the Americas.

• Additionally, the Spanish introduced measles to the Americas, which in some cases proved just as deadly as smallpox.

• Indigenous Americans refer to this introduction of European diseases as the Great Dying.

Food and Plants

• Old World → New World

  • European settlers introduced wheat, olives, grapes, etc., which were staples of European diets.

  • Eventually, they also introduced African and Asian foods like rice, bananas, and sugar to the Americas.

• New World → Old World

  • New World crops like maize, potatoes, manioc, etc., were also transferred to Europe.

  • Later, when enslaved Africans were being sent to the Americas, they would also bring new foods with them, like okra.

• The introduction of new foods created the occasion for a more varied diet, which meant healthier populations.

Animals

• Horses

  • Introduced to the Americas by Europeans.

  • Using the horse provided indigenous groups in the Great Plains even more effective means to hunt large herds of buffalo, which was a staple food item.

  • It gave them an advantage in their conflicts with other indigenous groups, which shifted the balance of power in favor of the groups that adopted the horse.

• Other animals were also introduced like pigs, sheep, and cattle.

  • Since they had no natural predators, they multiplied quickly.

  • That caused some problems since sheep ate large amounts of grass, causing erosion that affected indigenous farmers.

  • Additionally, pigs and cattle had a habit of trampling and eating indigenous crops.

Mineral

• Silver and gold

• As Spanish conquistadors conquered major powers like the Aztec and the Inca Empires, they plundered them for their massive quantities of gold and silver. That made Spain extremely rich.

• Lots of silver was being pumped into the European economy via Spain.

  • The Price Revolution occurred in which prices for European goods rose steadily for a century and a half.

  • This economic change hastened the shift from feudalism to capitalism in some parts of Europe.

    • Feudalism: A social and economic arrangement that created a closed system that focused on land ownership.

    • Capitalism: A social and economic arrangement that created an open system that focused on manufacturing and trade.