The Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange was the transfer of peoples, plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World Indigenous populations were decimated by epidemics caused by diseases brought by the Europeans. Epidemics are widespread outbreaks of a particular disease occurring in a community at a particular time. Small Pox arrived in the New World in 1518. 50% of the native population of Mexico and Central America died in the first smallpox outbreak. Within 100 years the native population of Central Mexico fell from an estimated 13 million to about 700,000. Mayan and Inca populations declined by at least 75% Brazil’s population fell by about 50%

I.The Columbian Exchange C. This pattern of outbreak and death repeated as the French and English colonized North America 1. In 1617 and 1618 Epidemics nearly exterminated the indigenous population of New England 2. French fur traders carried epidemics as far as the Great Lakes. D. There is very little evidence that Europeans intentionally used disease as a tool of empire, but the effects of diseases like Small pox, influenza, typhus, and the measles were devastating. E. The introduction of European livestock also posed an environmental threat to native communities

The Columbian Exchange Old World to New World: New World to Old World: Diseases: Smallpox  Measles Chicken Pox Malaria Yellow Fever Influenza The Common Cold Syphilis

The Columbian Exchange Old World to New World: New World to Old World: Animals: Horses  Cattle Pigs Sheep Goats Chickens Turkeys Llamas Alpacas Guinea Pigs

The Columbian Exchange Old World to New World: New World to Old World: Plants: Rice  Wheat Barley Oats Coffee Sugarcane Bananas Melons Olives Dandelions Daisies Clover Ragweed Kentucky Bluegrass Corn (Maize) Potatoes (White & Sweet Varieties) Beans (Snap, Kidney, & Lima) Tobacco Peanuts Squash Peppers Tomatoes Pumpkins Pineapples Cacao (Source of Chocolate) Chicle (Source of Chewing Gum) Papayas Manioc (Tapioca) Guavas Avocados

The Middle Passage

Triangular Trade Europe to Africa: Iron Cloth Brandy Guns Gunpowder Africa to the Americas: African Slaves The Americas to Europe/Asia: Tobacco Sugar Coffee The conditions of the Middle Passage were brutal and many Africans did not survive. It is estimated that between 2-4 million Africans died making the forced journey.