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A presentation to aid understanding of the Columbian Exchange

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Hopefully this padlet helped! For further research here's another website dedicated entirely to the Columbian Exchange.

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After witnessing the atrocities committed by the Spanish towards those enslaved, many became uneasy. Others believed that they were simply doing there job as Spaniards and were given their rights by God. Here is an article demonstrating the two differing views.

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The Spanish had a form of class system based on the belief of their "pure race". Those who had more Spanish blood were considered superior to those with less or who had none at all. This system goes hand in hand with the encomienda. As you go farther towards the bottom there was more work for you to do.

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The Spanish enslaved the Natives so that they could work for them and therefore produce them profit. Unfortunately, the Natives suffered tremendously from this situation.

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The potato was a crop that heavily influenced the Old World. Potatoes could grow in poor soil in harsh conditions, and still bring a large harvest. This crop tremendously supported population growth.

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This what the effect of smallpox looked like. This disease was a leading factor in why many Native Americans died.

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The Europeans viewed the Natives as savages. This perspective is important to keep in mind because it influences the decisions their decisions throughout history.

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If you're looking for quick, relatively simplified version of the Columbian Exchange this short video may help!

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The Columbian Exchange: Crash Course World History #23

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Europeans find this cash crop in the New World and make a ton of profit

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The Natives had never encountered a beast such as the horse. However, they quickly learned to use the animal to their advantage. Now, instead of hunting buffalo afoot, the Plains indians could chase them down on horseback.

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The Europeans believed in a Pristine Myth. They believed that the land they "discovered" was completely untouched. They also believed that the Natives were innocent , uncorrupted beings. In reality there were Natives everywhere who used the land to their advantage

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Denied by the Italian crown to sail, Columbus was granted permission and resources by the Spanish crown instead.

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Here you can visualize the effects of the Columbian Exchange.

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"The Columbian Exchange has included man, and he has changed the Old and the New worlds. Sometimes inadvertently, sometimes intentionally,
often brutally. It is possible that he and the plants and animals he brings with him have caused the extinction of more species of life forms in the last 400 hundred years than the usual processes of evolution might kill off in a million. The Columbian Exchange has left us with not a richer, but a more impoverished genetic pool. We, all of life on the planet, are the less for Columbus, and the impoverishment will increase."
-Alfred Crosby Jr.

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Many people and cultures traveled to the New World for several different reasons. The surplus of food coming from the Americas led to population boom and therefore pressure in Europe. So, many came to a wide open landscape in hopes of cultivating a new life. The world's people were now becoming more genetically and ethnically interconnected. Immigration to the New World that was not voluntary was the transfer of enslaved Africans that were needed for crop cultivation. Millions of Africans were transported due to the Columbian Exchange; significantly changing the demographics of the western hemisphere.

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Crops from the New World saved Europeans. Corn and potatoes were new plants that grew quickly and in abundance. They could be harvested like mad to support the growing population suffering from starvation. New World food was much more caloric. Other crops were huge money-makers for Europeans. Tobacco was a new plant that could be smoked or chewed and quickly caught popularity in Europe. Sadly, the consumption of tobacco was bad for individual health and usually led to death. Sugar plantations were also huge in the New World. This sparked the influx of slaves being shipped over to the Americas for European benefit.

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Diseases brought by Europeans were the number one factor in bringing Native Americans to the brink of extinction. Smallpox, for example, was a disease that the general European population had built a tolerance to. However, when Natives were encountered with this new illness there populations plummeted due to their lack of immunity. Measles, Mumps, Typhus, and Chickenpox were also contributing factors in the killing of Native Americans.These diseases brought war due to the death of tribal leaders; which, in turn, led to more spreading. A key disease that Native Americans had for Europeans was venereal syphilis. This was spread by sailor who had sexual relations with several women upon returning home to Europe.

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Columbus's travels caused a shift in the biological landscape due to the introduction of new animals to different regions. This caused a decrease in plant and animal species since his travels and a general lack of biodiversity globally. Europeans arriving to the Americas had never seen a  Turkey. Native Americans had never seen horses prior to European arrival. New animals such as cattle improved Native life because they no longer had to intense labor all on their own.

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The Columbian Exchange began as a simple voyage west of Europe to find an alternative route to the trading hub of India. Sailing was seen as a brave and honoring endeavor that only the greatest of the great would embark upon. There was hopes of fame and fortune to be had in voyages such as these. Christopher Columbus strove for exactly that. He would sail for him, his country, and inevitably the world. This mission changed the course of history forever; for better or worse.