The New And Old World

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Growing up, we were all taught a rhyme in history class that taught us about the man that discovered the Americas. “Fourteen Hundred Ninety-Two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” This is a rhyme that is hard to forget, but what isn’t hard to forget is everything that was involved. On August 3, 1942 Columbus and thirty-nine men departed Palos, Spain with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria in search for a western trade route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. On his voyage, he discovered several islands including Cuba, and the Bahamas. In December 1492, Columbus landed at Hispaniola, which he believed was Japan. In March 1493, Columbus returned to Spain with gold, spices, and Indian captives, and obtained highest honors from the courts (History.com Staff). This voyage marked the beginning of the Columbian Exchange, and a new evolution called the New and Old World. The Spanish Ruler believed that this would open up more avenues for Spain, including colonial rule and strengthening the economy and culture. The term was created by a famous historian by the name Alfred W. Crosby (Columbianexchange.org).
Before the voyage, neither worlds knew anything of the other, including food, animals, cultures, and diseases. The only knowledge that they obtained, was taught to them by their culture in the only world that was believed to be. When the Columbian Exchange began between the two worlds, new things started getting introduced as well as several different trading routes. The first exchange was, of course, what Christopher Columbus returned to Spain with on his first voyage. After that, the possibilities were endless. Trade and exploration opened up between England, France, Portugal, Africa and Spain, to the Americ...

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...North and South America today. It began as the real land of the free with its’ lands as far as the eye can see, fresh air, roaming animals, 95 percent less disease, and everything else that someone who loves the world for what God made it has. Through time it went through a forceful change. Little by little, homes started to develop from teepees to what they are today, roads went from wide open fields and pathways to pavement, living off the land turned into taking from the land, and the actual land of the free turned into greedy America and Politics. Some people state that what the Europeans did was like genocide (Walbert). They came in, took over, made it what they wanted no matter the cost. There are life lessons to be taught in everything that the world has gone through. Take the time to learn from the past so that the future isn’t infested with mistakes from it.

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