The Early Modern World. Chapter 13: The Columbian Exchange

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The Pros of the Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange is where exchanges of produce, animals and biological processed took place between the old world and the new after Columbus in 1492. Even though the exchange brought positive change to the European diet, deadly disease was also exchanged that decimated the Native American populations because they were not immuned to them. New world foods improved the European diet but improving tastes and improving the way to feed more of their own starving people.

Wheat, rice, sugarcane, grapes, and many garden vegetables and fruits made its way to America where they transformed their landscape that changed the European diet and way of life for the better (Strayer, p. 624).  Horses, pigs, cattle goat and sheep were new and revolutionary animals to the Americans and they were able to breed them in large numbers that helped them especially living on land with hardly any predators. These animals brought ranching and cowboy cultures that flourished the economy.

The new world foods helped colonies and Europeans in the new world become producers and distributers of new world crops and old world crops as well. North America became the main producer of corn and wheat and the Columbian exchange of foodstuff increased the wealth and health of Europeans and colonists of America.



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