Social Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

After the successful explorations of Christopher Columbus in 1492, a new trend in exploration and colonization was sparked. Europeans were greatly interested in colonizing and taking full control of the land discovered in the Americas and Africa. The exchange of diverse plants, food, and animals would ultimately lead to a better life for the Europeans, as they would be exposed to new items. The Columbian Exchange brought many effects, socially and economically, to the New World, Africa, and Europe. The Columbian exchange began after the explorations of Christopher Columbus in 1492. After exploring what Columbus initially thought was Asia, he returned to Spain with new information regarding the new world. As the information spread many other
The Europeans took Native American crops back to Europe. These crops included maize, potatoes, and many others. The spread of diseases were also very important. Native Americans were exposed to unfamiliar diseases and as a result many Europeans and Native Americans died. For example, the Yellow Fever was brought to the Americas from Africa through the Slave trade. The disease greatly affected the Caribbean because the slave workers in the sugar plantations were not immune to the disease. The Columbian Exchange affected the economy in a sense that many people would pay more to get products they could not get at home. For example, they could get silk, a luxurious item, from China if they had the money. Cultural blending was also a very important effect. European nations had the chance to experience Native American and African culture in a first hand experience. The non-Europeans were exposed to the modern clothing and most important: the weapons of the Europeans. Most Native Americans and Africans had used spears and arrows for a very long time as their primary weapon. As they saw how powerful and effective the guns were, this allowed them to convert to modern