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Social And Cultural Impact Of The Columbian Exchange

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The Columbian Exchange was a region of trade that occurred during period of biological and cultural exchanges of the Atlantic states. Exchanges of culture, ideas, diseases, slaves and technology transformed European and Native American societies. In 1492 the exchange lasted throughout the years of European expansion and exploration. The Columbian Exchange affected the social and cultural aspects of the old and new world. Advancements in agricultural production, development of warfare, mortality rates meaning death rates, and education of Native Americans are some examples of how the Columbian Exchange influenced both Native Americans and Europeans. (Christopher Columbus) Geography The Columbian exchange brought the old world and the new world together in a way the world had not yet seen. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 from Europe to what he thought was India, but he “discovered” Central America instead. Though Central America wasn’t the spice filed India that he had hoped for, Central America was filled with resources that spiked European interest such as crops, plants, animals, gold and most importantly potential converts for the Christian faith. Politics During this time, the political forces of Europe being Spain, England, and France were all starting to expand their wealth and political power. They required gold and commodities for their domestic markets. Also important was the rising number of unemployed debtors that roamed the streets serving no real purpose. It was these poor men and women who would take the risk of sailing across the world to reap the rewards of settling the new lands and becoming wealthy farmers or merchants. Unfortunately, most of the crops that were in high-demand required a lot of labor to harvest and maintain, and had the Native Americans been as resilient to the harsh diseases that the Europeans brought with them as the Africans were, then Native Americans would have been sold and bought on a mass scale instead of Africans. Another political development of this era was Mercantilism. Mercantilism was the economic platform of trade used from the 16th to 18th century. Mercantilist believed the amount of money or gold in the world was finite. European

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