The Columbian Exchange

Practice flashcards covering the key concepts, demographic changes, biological transfers, labor systems, and environmental impacts of the Columbian Exchange.

What is the definition of the Columbian Exchange?

The transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases from the East to the West and from the West to the East.

Christopher Columbus's landing on which Caribbean island launched the Columbian Exchange?

Hispaniola.

According to historians, what percentage of the native population was wiped out by smallpox in the Americas, and what percentage was destroyed in some places?

It wiped out about $50\%$ of the native population generally, and upwards of $80\text{--}90\%$ of native populations in some places.

How did the European introduction of horses transform the lives of Native Americans in the plains regions?

It allowed them to hunt buffalo with greater efficiency (resulting in excess food) and gave them a competitive advantage against other tribes.

Which important food crops introduced from the Americas to Europe led to an expanded diet and massive population growth?

Cacao, maize (corn), and potatoes.

Why did the European colonists' attempt to enslave the native population for agriculture prove problematic?

The natives knew their own land far better than the Europeans did and frequently escaped into the hills and forests where colonists were unlikely to find them.

What crop was making the Portuguese extraordinarily wealthy in their Brazilian colony, driving their demand for labor?

Sugarcane.

From which African kingdom did Portugal especially import enslaved laborers to solve their labor issues in Brazil?

The Kongo Kingdom.

Why did the African population grow significantly during the trans-Atlantic slave trade despite losing millions of men?

American foods like yams and manioc were introduced into Africa from places like Brazil, providing nutrition that spurred population growth.

What specific environmental consequences resulted from European agricultural methods and settlement patterns in the Americas?

Aggressive land use caused large-scale deforestation and soil depletion, while dense European settlements placed greater strain on water supplies and increased pollution.