Columbian Exchange

Causes of the Columbian Exchange

European states sponsored sea-based explorations to find water routes to the East Indies for spices.
Christopher Columbus's voyage westward across the Atlantic led to contact between the New World and the Old World.

Transfer of disease
- Afro-Eurasians had developed immunities due to centuries of contact.
- Indigenous peoples in the Americas had no immunity to European diseases.
- Examples:
  - Malaria (carried by mosquitoes)
  - Measles
  - Smallpox (most devastating)
Plants and food
- Europeans brought wheat, grapes, olives, bananas, and sugar.
- New World crops (maize, potatoes, manioc) transferred to Europe.
- Cash crops grown on European-controlled plantations (e.g., sugarcane).
- Enslaved Africans brought okra and rice.
Animals
- Europeans introduced pigs, sheep, and cattle.
- No natural predators led to multiplication and ranching economies.
- Environmental consequences: erosion due to overgrazing.
- Horses changed indigenous societies in North America by aiding buffalo hunting.