#2 LEQ Topic Prep! columbian

Contextualization

• The Black Death (mid-14th century) devastated Europe, killing nearly one-third of the population.

• Resulted in economic and social turmoil, leaving Europe in shambles.

• This crisis fueled a strong need for exploration to rebuild economies.

• European powers sought new trade routes and resources to recover and prosper.

Columbus's Arrival in the Americas

• Columbus was sponsored by Spain and aimed to reach Asia by sailing west.

• Instead, he accidentally landed in the Americas in 1492.

• This encounter initiated the Columbian Exchange, altering economies, populations, and environments globally.

Thesis Statement

• From 1492 to the 17th century, the Columbian Exchange was driven by European desires for wealth and access to valuable goods like spices.

• Motivated exploration and colonization of the Americas.

• Short-term effects: Spread of diseases (e.g., smallpox) devastating Indigenous populations and demographic changes via forced migration of enslaved Africans.

• Long-term effects: Transformation of global environments through the introduction of new crops, animals, and agricultural practices, reshaping ecosystems and economies.

Body Paragraph 1: European Motivations

• Driven by wealth and the desire for spices post-Reconquista.

• Spain aimed to expand power and influence through maritime exploration amid competitive European economics.

• Columbus's arrival led to discovery of wealth in the Americas, adding to Spain's prosperity.

• Resulted in European access to new resources, including gold, silver, and cash crops.

• Set stage for cultural, environmental, and economic exchanges between the Americas and Europe.

Body Paragraph 2: Significant Short-term Effects

• Spread of Diseases: Introduction of diseases (e.g., smallpox, influenza) devastated Indigenous populations.

• Indigenous people lacked immunity, leading to rapid disease spread and population decrease.

• This facilitated European conquest and control over the Americas, increasing wealth and power.

• Demographic Changes: Decrease in Indigenous population created a demand for labor, resulting in the forced migration of enslaved Africans.

• Enslaved Africans were transported via the trans-Atlantic slave trade to work on plantations (e.g., sugar, tobacco), filling the labor gap.

• This also racialized slavery, altering racial hierarchies with a new demographic makeup in the Americas.

Conclusion

• The quest for wealth and Asian markets due to the Columbian Exchange dramatically reshaped the makeup of Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

• Significant short-term effects included disease spread (e.g., smallpox) and demographic changes from forced migrations, altering the three continents' dynamics.

• Long-term transformations included the introduction of new crops, animals, and agricultural practices, reshaping worldwide ecosystems and economies.