Negative Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

The Columbian exchange is a turning point in history because it was a period of cultural and biological trades between areas and the places that would allow these barters. With the cultural exchanges, there were advanced technologies the old world did not know about places in the new world it would help with getting new things you needed and would get you the things you would want like food, water, and other stuff. Before Columbus was there they only had domesticated llamas and alpacas or no other animals that weighed 45 kg (100 lbs) when he was there it brought animals like sheep, horses, cattle, goats, pigs, and a lot of other animals as well. It had also brought sugar plants and disease all to the new world also the new world had sugar Tabacco chocolate and potatoes that were also given to the old world.

The Columbian Exchange took place in 1492 when Christopher Columbus voyaged to Amercia.There was a dramatic exchange of humans, plants, cultures, food and Animals between the Afro-Eurasian Hemispheres and the America. The most importantly the slaves were bartered during the Columbian exchange. The author of “The Columbian exchange” Alfred Crosby stated that the effects of the Columbian voyage to the America was highly devasting just like the “blacks deaths” in old world. Viral diseases like smallpox and meseals were common in the old world. The Afro-Eurasian residents were immune to the diseases like smallpox, measeals, Influenza, syphilis, etc. from their childhood. The natives of America had low immunity to these diseases as there were no such viral diseases ever existed in America. The Columbus voyaged to America fueled with meseals and smallpox as a result the deaths rose to a great extent. The American doctors had never encountered patients with such diseases like smallpox and meseals and they do not know the treatment of these diseases which also contributed to the increased death rate. The Spaniards were moving through the Caribbean island of Santo damingo to Antilles Island and then to the mainland of Mexico and then finally to South America but the diseases they carried moved at a greater pace through these areas and ultimately causing huge deaths world.

The Columbian exchange lead to the adoption of Christianity by the Indians, the formation of the Spanish colonies, and the marriage pattern also changed as a result of the Columbian exchange. The Pre Columbian Indians used to live in the groups and they usually marriages within the tribes but when smallpox and meseals spread across the America and death rate increased resulted in marriages between diverse societies which occasioned in the development of the new communities.

As a result of the “Columbian exchange” the sugar cane business was introduced in America by the Spaniards who were specialists in producing sugar through the sugarcane which was totally dependent on the African slaves. The African slaves like the Europeans had immunity to smallpox and the meseals. So they started to exchange the slaves for things because the severe kind of labor shortage arose in the new world as a result of the extensive death rate caused by smallpox and the meseals.

The introduction of the sugar business resulted in the sugarcane plantation in the new world. This leads to deforestation to a high degree causing in turn the drought and the erosion of the soil. The population of the African slaves and the whites in the 18th century was almost equal due to the huge import of African slaves to Antiguan planters. The condition of the slaves in Antiguan planters were miserable. The slaves were maltreated and the workday was infinite and the masters used to beat the slaves for the beatings were common for the least breach.

After the Columbian exchange in the 17th century, slaves were exchanged between Africa Europe and the West Indies. European goods like arms, gin, gunpowder and trinkets were bartered for slaves in West Africa. The slaves brought to the West Indies were sold for coffee, indigo, tropical products, and sugar, and then these products were sent to the European countries. The slaves were also exchanged by providing the rum to Africans by the European merchants which then again sold the slaves for the sugar and molasses in the West Indies for use in the rum making.

The “Columbian exchange” resulted in the recognition of Sunday as an important day of worship. The slaves used to practice their religious ritual quietly which they have brought from Africa. The slaves used to enjoy little independence on Sunday they were permitted to sell the food that they have grown in their gardens on Sunday in the market. so as a result of the Columbian exchange, the Sunday was named the” “Negroes holiday” as the slaves could relax and trade freely on Sunday. On the “Negroes holiday” the slaves were able to improve their economic status in a significant way.

The Columbian exchange resulted in the wide variety of growth of livestock and new crops among the two hemispheres. Spanish colonies were formed in the new world. Quinine was discovered for the treatment of malaria. The slaves started to be traded from the old world to the new world for working in the sugar plant in the New World. Sugarcane a major crop of Asia and coffee a major crop of Africa also became the main crops of the new world.

The Columbian exchange resulted in the production of a variety of traditional condiments and spices such as cardamom ginger, almonds, and clove. Milk, Cheese, Pork, and beef were made a major part of American cuisine. The meat of Sheep, chicken and goat also became the major staple of the New World. Vegetable seeds, Chickpeas were also bought by Columbus to the new world in his later voyages. African Music was introduced in the American culture and they got amused with it greatly.

The domestic animals that were transferred from the old world to the new world include camels, cats, donkeys, cow, water buffalo Ferret, honey bee, Rabbit (domestic), Rock pigeon, Pig , guineafowl, etc. The domestic plants that were transferred to the new world as a result of the Columbian exchange from the old world include Beet, Ackee, Apricot, Brassica oleracea-derived vegetables, Barley, Almond Banana, bitter melon, Artichoke, cantaloupe Asparagus, bilberry (“blueberry”, “blaeberry”) Brussels sprout, cinnamon, kale and collard greens cantaloupe.