A

.docx

School

University of Arkansas, Little Rock *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

1312

Subject

History

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

6

Uploaded by AmbassadorRookPerson916 on coursehero.com

1 The Modern Effects of the Columbian Exchange Amber Anderson HIST 1312: History of Civilization II: World History Since 1500 Dr. Aihua Zheng February 11, 2024
2 Christopher Columbus is well-known for setting sail in 1492 and discovering the New World. His voyage kickstarted global trading between the New World and many other countries. This global trade network is known as the Columbian Exchange. Christopher Columbus could be held responsible for the blending of cultures and races in North and South America due to encouraging global trade and setting up permanent colonies in Latin America in search of riches and profits by importing African slaves to use for labor alongside Native Americans. The Columbian Exchange is also responsible for the widespread knowledge of Christianity to the Americas as spreading the word of God was one of the main missions of European explorers. After arriving to South America, the Spanish and Portuguese discovered native crops, such as coffee and sugar, that they could produce and harvest on the land as added profit to send back to Europe. Manual labor was needed to harvest the crops, so the explorers used Native Americans as laborers to work on plantations in Latin America. However, the death toll for Native Americans rose as starvation and disease impacted their population due to no natural resistance from European illnesses. 1 Bartolomé de Las Casas also documented the mistreatment of Native Americans. In his 1514 piece, The Tears of the Indians , he wrote about how the Spaniards forced the Indians deep underwater to dive for pearls. If the Indians took a break to breathe, they would be beaten while other laborers never made it back for air and unfortunately drown. He went on to say that the Spaniards provided them with little nourishment leading to starvation. 2 1 William J Duiker and Jackson J Spielvogel, World History, Volume II: Since 1500 , 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 405. 2 Casas Bartolomé de las, Tears of the Indians (London: J.C. for Nath. Brook, 1656). Quoted in World History, Volume II: Since 1500 , 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 404.
3 Out of the 100,000 population of Hispaniola when Christopher Columbus arrived, only three hundred Indians were remaining by 1570. 3 This led to the Spanish and Portuguese importation of African slaves to take over the labor in the plantations. A painting by Theodore de Bry, created in 1596, shows Native Americans and African slaves working in a Hispaniola sugar plantation representing the blending of cultures and races 4 . This led to Latin America becoming a multiracial society. The remainder of South America was quickly filled with other colonies from Spanish and Portuguese as seen in a colonization map of South America from 1500 to 1750. 5 (403). With the growing society, Rulers allowed intermarriage between Europeans and Native Americans and soon biracial children called mestizos, European and Indian offspring, and mulattoes, African and European offspring, creating a racially blended society in Latin America which can still be seen today. 6 The Columbus Exchange was also impactful in spreading the knowledge of Christianity to the Americas which is still the main religion practiced today. In a European painting interpreting Christopher Columbus setting foot onto the New World, the main focus is leaning more towards religion. 7 This can be seen by Columbus’s eyes focused on the sky as to give thanks to God and the many crosses proudly held up in the sky for all to see by the other explorers. The Native Americans can be seen hiding in the trees and the tall grassland depicted as primitive and lost. Other archival documents show spreading the word of God as a top objective of the voyages such as the letter from King Manuel of Portugal which states, “the principal 3 William J Duiker and Jackson J Spielvogel, World History, Volume II: Since 1500 , 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 405. 4 Theodore de Bry, “West Indies Sugar Plantation,” Native American and African slaves working in a Hispaniola sugar plantation, World History, Volume II: Since 1500 (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), Frankfurt, 407. 5 Latin America from c. 1500 to 1750 , map, World History, Volume II: Since 1500 (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 403. 6 William J Duiker and Jackson J Spielvogel, World History, Volume II: Since 1500 , 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 403. 7 Dióscoro Puebla, “First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World – At San Salvador, West Indies, October 12, 1492,” 1862. Quoted in World History, Volume II: Since 1500 , 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Inc, 2019), 402.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help