Pangea was a supercontinent which existed in the Mesozoic-Paleozoic eras. It broke apart into two distinct continents around 175 million year ago. This massive global change would change the geography and biology of the entire world. Pangea’s split would be responsible for many global phenomena. The future of human societies was changed forever when Pangea was split by continental drift millions and millions of year ago. This huge drift was a major factor in the division of the Old World from the New World. The Atlantic ocean is now the boundary between North and South America. It was formed from Eurasia, Africa and North America. Two types of society developed from this separation on a large scale in different parts of the globe. Although it may seem small, this was not a major issue. Because the land masses were developed in different ways, there were different biological resources for people to use.
The Columbian Exchange was established in 1492 to “reestablish” the connection between the worlds. It involved the transshipment of people, goods, and diseases across Atlantic Ocean. It is considered the most significant event in modern world history. It enabled the Europeans to gain access to the global trading market, previously dominated in part by China’s silks and India’s spices. This created wealth for many European countries and allowed them to be a major trading system. The Columbian Exchange provided many benefits but also led to many deaths. This era saw millions of deaths. According to estimates, ninety percent died in the American Revolution. In some Caribbean Islands, Native Americans disappeared completely. It was the Atlantic Ocean’s largest exchange of people, commodities and diseases. The Columbian Exchange had a profound impact on almost every society in the world. It transferred devastating diseases and circulated a large variety of crops and livestock. These diseases greatly affected the Native American people of New World. Native American populations depleted so much, very rapidly. According to historians, between 25 and 50 percent of Native American tribes lost their population to diseases. Smallpox was, Mumps and Meles, Polio. Syphilis, Influenza, Hepatitis, Syphilis, Encephalitis, and Influenza were just a few of the diseases that were passed between these two societies. Mumps, Influenza, Smallpox and Mumps were all carried from the Old World. They decimated a lot of Native Americans because they didn’t know what the diseases were and their weak immune system. Because medicine wasn’t developed, there weren’t many treatments for Native Americans. The most common form of smallpox in Native Americans was found in children. Mumps can affect the salivary and paratid glands. It is extremely painful and can cause severe pain for those who have been infected. Measles is a condition that has no cure. It was a disease that could be contracted and had flu-like symptoms. Influenza, also known as flu, can affect the throat, nose, and lungs.
Native Americans are the ones who suffered most from the “exchange of disease”, but Europeans could also be infected with diseases from other parts of the New World. Syphilis was, Hepatitis B, Encephalitis, Polio and Hepatitis C were all transmitted from the New World. Although Polio was a problem in Europe before the colonization, it became more common after that time. Hepatitis can affect the liver and is caused by prescription medicines or inappropriate drug use. This disease was unknown to Native Americans. Encephalitis can cause bacterial infections and is caused by an immune problem. Although it can cause hallucinations or even death, only a few cases have been confirmed to be fatal. Syphilis was a sexually transmitted infection that was mainly carried by European sailors. European sailors would often rape Native American females. This practice created a new American race.
The Columbian Exchange was also a catalyst for large-scale crop transfers. The exchange of goods impacted both the Old World as well as the New World. The New World had never heard of Old World crops like wheat, barley and rice before this massive transfer of goods. Native Americans didn’t know what these crops were or how to use them. Manioc, sweet potatoes, maize and white potatoes were just a few of the crops that never crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Many crops were shipped to England, but some also traveled to other countries. Maize, for example, was transported from the Americas into China and white potatoes to Ireland. Potatoes became a staple crop in Ireland after they were introduced. Europeans brought wheat and apple to the East Coast of America when they settled there. This was essential to the New World’s development because it allowed new and diverse economies to emerge. These commodities were introduced by the Europeans to create new economies.
The Colombian Exchange had many commodities, but sugar was a key commodity in colonial times. It is important to remember that sugar was as important economically in colonial times as oil today. Many countries struggled for control over sugar production in America. Columbus brought sugar to Hispaniola in 1493. It thrived there. The tropical climates were ideal for sugarcane cultivation, so the majority of sugarcane was grown on the Caribbean islands. Slavery was also encouraged by sugar production, which boosted colonial economies.
The colonial age saw the need for “durable” workers to work on sugar plantsations. This led to the Atlantic slave industry. Sugar was so sought after, there was an enormous increase in demand. Europeans started to kidnap Africans and to transfer them to the Americas. Africans were bound to one another, traded, branded, treated as property, and treated like slaves. Many of those kidnapped died during the middle passage, which was the journey the slaves made across the Atlantic ocean. They traveled from West Africa through the West Indies. Slavery was a benefit for the Africans, who were resistant to many diseases and were used to hard work. European settlers arrived in America to set up plantations to grow sugarcane. Although Native Americans were initially employed as slave labor by plantation owners, their deaths too soon for Europeans made it impossible to see them as useful. Bartolome de Las Casas, an Spanish priest, suggested that Native Americans should be replaced by Africans. The Portuguese adopted the idea and have been following it ever since. Between the mid-1500s and mid-1500s, thousands and even thousands of people were being transported by the Spanish and Portuguese to the Americas.
The Europeans also valued tobacco as a major crop. The Europeans used tobacco as a cash crop. It was not grown for personal consumption, but for profit. Contrary to other crops, tobacco was not brought over by the Europeans. Native Americans used and grew tobacco before Europeans arrived in the Americas. They believed tobacco improved intelligence and concentration. Tobacco was not known to exist before 1492. Spanish explorers used Native Americans using tobacco to justify their status as savages. Although tobacco was initially stigmatized, Europeans soon became more comfortable with the use of it. They also claimed that it had health benefits, much like Native Americans believed. Tobacco was the world’s first true commodity. It was grown by many countries, including Portugal and France. The Native Americans introduced chocolate to Europe, along with tobacco.
In addition to diseases and crops, Columbian exchanges also encouraged the movement of animals across Atlantic Ocean. These included horses, cattle, sheep and goats as well as pigs and pigs. The Natives had previously only been able to domesticate llamas and alpacas. Christopher Columbus brought with him pigs. Native Americans used livestock to transport, haul, hides, meat, and tallow.
These animals made hunting and gathering a much more mobile activity. The Americas’ work culture was drastically changed by the arrival of large animals from Europe. The Europeans brought larger animals than Native Americans, which allowed them to do the work. Native Americans had the ability to use oxen as plows, which made it easier to cultivate and make transportation more efficient. The Native American pig was another important animal. They changed the way people eat. Because they are able to breed quickly and easily and don’t have a set diet, pigs were so common in colonial and native American societies. The Americas had large areas of land that could be used for agriculture or grazing. This allowed the livestock to flourish.
Horses were another animal that had a profound impact on Native American lives. They were instrumental in the Westward migration’s success and made it more manageable. Horses were also an integral part of religious ceremonies. Native Americans were known to imitate horses and dance with them. Oglala Dakota started a “horsemedicine religion” that used horses to treat sicknesses and predict future events. The most revered Native American tribe members were soon the horse medicine women and men.
Native Americans were also helped by the Europeans who brought new technology. To trade with Native Americans, they brought guns and knives. The Natives were greatly benefited by this as they hunted for food. It made everyday tasks easier and simpler.
Columbian Exchange is known as the Atlantic Ocean’s largest commodity, person and disease exchange. It was able to transfer devastating diseases and circulate a variety of livestock and crops, affecting almost all societies on Earth. Many consider the Colombian Exchange to be the most significant event in modern world history. The Columbian Exchange brought new technologies, livestock and plants as well as diseases. It encouraged global development and enabled economies to grow rapidly. The Columbian Exchange was the result that led to our global society. Most historians agree. While globalization has brought us closer to each other, the modern world is filled with cultural tensions. Although this essay only mentions a few aspects of Columbian trade, such as the movement of people, crops and diseases, the immense effects it had on our world are impossible to quantify.
