Columbian Exchange Notes

Period: 1450 CE - 1750 CE
Definition: Cultural and biological exchanges between the New World (Americas) and Old World (Afro-Eurasia) involving plants, animals, diseases, and technology.

European Exploration: Motivated by "God, gold, glory"; search for trade routes.
Economic Factors: Growth of mercantilism and demand for labor leading to the Atlantic slave trade.
Technological Advancements: Navigation innovations (e.g., astrolabe, compass) facilitated long-distance travel.
Religious Mission: Desire to spread Catholicism among Indigenous peoples.
Disease Impact: Indigenous populations had little immunity to European diseases, leading to high mortality rates.

Introduction of American crops as staples in diets of Europe, Asia, and Africa (e.g., potatoes, maize).
Domesticated animals (horses, cattle) introduced to the Americas.
Population Changes: Increase in population in Afro-Eurasia due to new calorie-dense foods.
Negative effects: Enslavement of Native Americans and Africans, environmental degradation from European agricultural practices.

Spanish Caste System: Peninsulares (Europeans born in Europe), Creoles (Europeans born in the Americas), Mestizos, Mulattos, Zambos, Indigenous Americans.
Encomienda system led to unequal societal structures and class tensions.

Exchange of not just goods but also cultural practices (e.g., Voodoo combining Catholicism and African religions).

Spanish wealth from silver mining led to oversupply and economic decline.
The global economy emerged, linking Europe, the Americas, and Asia through trade.