The Columbian Exchange and Its Outcomes

Beginning in the 15th century, many countries around the globe were in need of specific resources to prosper and create a highly-developed society. However, there were no forms of an exchange of goods during this time. This catastrophe led to a highly-valued method of transportation of assets among many civilizations known as the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange can best be described as the transfer of “plants, animals, and diseases across the Atlantic in both directions”. Through this exchange, agriculture in both the New and Old World was significantly enhanced due to an increase in crop availability and a drastic increase in useful resources.

The Columbian Exchange granted numerous groups of people economic gain and built strong relationships with foreign countries. In an article titled “Columbian Exchange (1492-1800)”, the author elaborates on the impact the exchange had on food, stating “Crosby attributed this phenomenon largely to the fact that the world's food supply has increased and improved since 1492” (Crosby). With an increase in food, civilizations are better able to feed themselves. They are also able to trade their surplus of food for monetary value or other necessary resources. Without the establishment of the Columbian Exchange, it would be much more difficult to further advance a society due to a lack of food. The addition to food supply drastically increased the population of society due to the expansion of fertile crops across the world. Civilizations were able to focus on agriculture, which was the main source of economic growth. Through the trading of animals and plants, a community is able to acquire the resources that are necessary to them while trading materials that are not as effective to them. A vital product of the Columbian Exchange was the potato due to the high volume of nutrients and vitamins that significantly improved health among societies. Although there were an abundance of benefits associated with the exchange, Europeans spread diseases to the Natives, making them the most affected by the Columbian Exchange.

Natives in the New World were undoubtedly the most drastically impacted out of all of the groups of people that participated in the exchange. An article titled “The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas” emphasized the disastrous effect the Europeans had on the Natives within the exchange, stating “Europeans brought deadly viruses and bacteria… for which Native Americans had no immunity” (Nunn and Qian). Natives were not adaptable to combat European diseases; therefore, a large portion of their population was decimated. The Natives also had no previous contact with diseases from the Old World, further clarifying the significant reduction in their population. The article went on to expand on the origin of many of the European diseases, which was their heavy domestication of animals. The majority of the fatal diseases brought to the New World were in fact originated by domesticating animals. Many modern-day people acquire the misconception that the exchange only contributed a positive impact; however, that is simply not true.

The Columbian Exchange gave many civilizations a greater opportunity to further establish their society through the use of plants and animals, but it came at a great price. Many innocent Indians lost their lives due to devastating diseases that were a part of the exchange. Nevertheless, agriculture became a center-piece within many different cultures as a result of the exchange. Potatoes were a highly valued commodity within those cultures due to the substantial health benefits they provided. Although the Columbian Exchange provided many societies with an increase in food, population, and quality of life, it killed many Natives that lacked immunity to the catastrophic European diseases.

Works Cited

• “2.4 New Worlds in the Americas: Labor, Commerce, and the Columbian Exchange - U.S. History.” OpenStax, openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/2-4-new-worlds-in-the-americas-labor-commerce-and-the-columbian-exchange.
• Crosby, Alfred. “Columbian Exchange (1492-1800).” HOSLAC, 30 Oct. 2017, mypages.unh.edu/hoslac/book/columbian-exchange-1492-1800.
• Nunn, Nathan. “The Columbian Exchange: A History of Diseases, Food, and Ideas.” Kellog.northwestern.edu, 25 Mar. 2010, www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/qian/resources/NunnQianJEP.pdf.