AP World History: Transoceanic interconnections (Unit 4): Columbian Exchange (Ch 3)

Explain the causes of the Columbian Exchange and its effects on the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 

Growing interactions between the old and new world, caused the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange resulted in the exchange of flora, fauna, and diseases, which caused population increases and cuisine that utilized New World crops in the Eastern Hemisphere, and the decimation of indigenous populations in the Western Hemisphere. (MO)

How does the Columbian Exchange show how the environment shapes human societies and the change of populations?

The Columbian Exchange, represents the environmental aspect of the transferring of flora, fauna, people, and disease, majorly increasing European populations and depleting Indigenous populations, which had major effects on society, culture, and economy. (TF)

The new connections between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres resulted in ____

the exchange of new plants, animals, and diseases, known as the Columbian Exchange. (HD)

Describe the exchange of plants during the Columbian Exchange.

New world crops, including maize, potatoes, tobacco, and tomatoes go to Old world; Old word crops like wheat, sugar, and coffee go to the Americas. 

Describe the exchange of animals during the Columbian Exchange

Domesticated animals like horses, chicken, cattle, and pigs are introduced to the Americas; llamas, alpacas, and turkeys brought to Europe, diversifying diets and leading to new textiles. 

Describe the effects the Columbian Exchange had on ecosystems in the Americas.

European plants and animals altered landscapes in the Americas; native species faced competition or extinction, and deforestation occurred to open up new land for fields.

European colonization of the Americas led to the unintentional transfer of __

disease vectors, or organisms that carry diseases. (HD)

European settlers brought diseases like __

smallpox, measles, and influenza to the Americas, affecting indigenous populations.

How did European livestock impact the spread of diseases in the Americas?

Livestock like pigs and cattle carried diseases like swine flu and tuberculosis, impacting both ecosystems and human populations, carrying pathogens that indigenous people had no immunity to.

How did disease affect Indigenous populations?

Diseases decimated indigenous populations, and this devastation led to social, cultural, and political disruption among indigenous communities.

The decline in indigenous populations led to __

a reliance on African slaves for labor in the Americas.

Cash crops were primarily grown on __ 

plantations with coerced labor and were exported mostly to Europe and the Middle East. (HD)

Sugarcane and cotton became __

major cash crops grown on plantations in the Americas, cultivated primarily by enslaved Africans.

Maize (corn), potatoes, and tomatoes are introduced to 

Europe, Asia, and Africa, significantly altering diets and agricultural practices.

Coffee and cocoa cultivation expanded in __

the Caribbean and South America, fostering global trade networks.

American crops like __

potatoes, maize, and tomatoes in Europe, were widely adopted and became staples in various regions.

Which Afro-Eurasian resources were brought by Europeans to the Americas?

Fruit trees, grains, sugar, and domesticated animals.

Which Afro-Eurasian grains were brought to the Americas?

Wheat, barley, and rice were brought to the Americas, expanding food production and diversifying diets.

How were populations in Afro-Eurasia effected by American food crops?

The nutritional impact of new American crops, such as the potato, maize, and cassava, diversified diets and improved food security in Eurasia and some parts of Africa, leading to a population explosion in these regions.