Columbian Exchange Essay

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The Columbian Exchange which was also known as the Grand Exchange describes the period of time in which foodstuffs, livestock, diseases, technology as well as cultures were shared between Eurasia also known as the Old World and the Americas, that is, the new world (Levack, Muir and Veldman 417). This was mainly inspired by voyages that Christopher Columbus took from Europe to the Americas at around 1942 (Crosby 1). At this period of time, he and his crew members landed onto the Bahamas and decided to make their home there. In this way, they were able to appreciate the crops and livestock that they found in Americas which they took home and as well left the Americas with new knowledge on agriculture. In relation to the above, Eurasia provided the New World with wheat, rice, cattle, horses among other animals; while the American people introduced maize, potatoes and manioc to them (Crosby 1).
The Grand Exchange had various effects on both the Old and the New World and other adjacent areas as well. Primarily, the exchange of crops and livestock allowed various communities across the globe to accept those that were new to them. For example; the Europeans began to learn how to cultivate potatoes which spread to other countries like Ireland. On the other hand, the Americas also …show more content…

Additionally, migration became common especially through voyages where people sailed across lands with the aim of obtaining more ‘treasure’ that they would bring back home. In some cases, the Colombian Exchange changed the lifestyle adopted by various communities. A case in hand would be the Native Americans who with the introduction of horse rearing, shifted from agriculture to hunting animals using horses (Francis 306). They were also able to expand their lands as they used the horses to travel for long distances. This community valued horses and it became a standard of wealth to

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