History Chapter 18
1. What were the most important elements of the Columbian exchange? How did this
“trade” in plant and animal species shape the future development of both Europe and the
Americas?
The Columbian exchange was named after Christopher Columbus and not the Country of
Columbia. There were four important elements to the Columbian exchange, which included diseases, animals, plants and people. When the Europeans made initial contact with the natives in the Americas, there was mass outbreak of small pox, mumps and many other diseases. This caused the American natives population to decrease rapidly because their immune systems had never been exposed to such diseases. Also, the native leaders kept passing away from diseases further weakening the natives resistance to European dominance. In exchange for the diseases the European brought, they received from the Indians diseases of syphilis and polio. These diseases spread quickly in the European society, mostly by sailors sleeping with native
Americans and then sailing back to the Europeans colonies with the diseases. Eventually, even the most affluent families in Europe contracted these diseases which included the Tutor and Val
Walt family. The early Europeans that arrived in the Americas brought pigs and horses. The pigs were imported because they breed fast meaning more food and the horses were imported for transportation reasons. The American Indians would eventually adopt the horse into its culture and this allowed them to have a more nomadic lifestyle. There were many plants that Europeans exported from the Americas which included chilies, corn, beans, potatoes, avocados, peanuts, sweet potatoes and blueberries. The Europeans imported mostly wheat and grapes into the
Americas. The Americas
“trade” in plant and animal species shape the future development of both Europe and the
Americas?
The Columbian exchange was named after Christopher Columbus and not the Country of
Columbia. There were four important elements to the Columbian exchange, which included diseases, animals, plants and people. When the Europeans made initial contact with the natives in the Americas, there was mass outbreak of small pox, mumps and many other diseases. This caused the American natives population to decrease rapidly because their immune systems had never been exposed to such diseases. Also, the native leaders kept passing away from diseases further weakening the natives resistance to European dominance. In exchange for the diseases the European brought, they received from the Indians diseases of syphilis and polio. These diseases spread quickly in the European society, mostly by sailors sleeping with native
Americans and then sailing back to the Europeans colonies with the diseases. Eventually, even the most affluent families in Europe contracted these diseases which included the Tutor and Val
Walt family. The early Europeans that arrived in the Americas brought pigs and horses. The pigs were imported because they breed fast meaning more food and the horses were imported for transportation reasons. The American Indians would eventually adopt the horse into its culture and this allowed them to have a more nomadic lifestyle. There were many plants that Europeans exported from the Americas which included chilies, corn, beans, potatoes, avocados, peanuts, sweet potatoes and blueberries. The Europeans imported mostly wheat and grapes into the
Americas. The Americas