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 separate regions of the globe. Although it may seem trivial, this was far more than two separate societies. The land masses that developed differently had different biological resources, which made them different from one another.
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. The Europeans gained access to the global market for trading, which was previously dominated mainly by China and India. This created wealth for many European countries and allowed them to be a major trading system. The Columbian Exchange offered many advantages, 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 peoples in the 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 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 this “exchange 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 led to another race in America.
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, white potatoes, sweet potato, and maize 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. Because of this, the New World was able to develop new and more diverse economies. 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 fought 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 economics.
Because of the demand for hardworking, durable people to work in sugar plantations, Atlantic slave trading began in the colonial period. 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 tethered to one another, traded with each other, branded and considered property. Many of the kidnapped individuals died along the middle passage. This was where the now-slaves crossed the Atlantic ocean. The ships traveled from West Africa to West Indies. Slavery was a benefit for the Africans, who were resistant to many diseases and were used to hard work. European settlers set up plantations as large estates for sugarcane cultivation when the Africans arrived in America. 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 a Spanish priest suggested that Native Americans should be replaced by Africans. Between the mid-1500s and mid-1500s, thousands to 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 considered tobacco a cash crop, meaning that it was grown to sell and not for personal consumption. 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 stigmatized initially, Europeans came to embrace it and started to believe it had medical benefits. Tobacco was the world’s first truly global commodity. Many countries across the globe grew tobacco, 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. They had never domesticated any animals other than llamas or 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 could use oxen in plow work, 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 can breed quickly and efficiently, and because they don’t follow a strict diet, pigs were a common sight in colonial American communities and native American tribes. The Americas had large areas of land that could be used for grazing or agriculture, which enabled 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 used to dance with horses and try to imitate them. Oglala Dakota started a “horsemedicine religion” that used horses to treat sickness 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 knives and guns. The Natives were greatly benefited by this as they hunted for food. It made daily tasks much easier.
The Columbian Exchange is one of the most important exchanges of people and commodities across the Atlantic Ocean. It was a major influence on nearly every society in the world, transferring deadly diseases and circulating a variety of livestock and crops. Many consider the Colombian Exchange to be the most significant event in modern world history. New technologies, livestock, crops, and diseases were brought to the world by the Columbian Exchange. It promoted global development and enabled economies grow quickly. 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 the transfer and movement of people, crops, diseases, and livestock to the world, the immense effects it had are hard to quantify.
