The Colombian Exchange The exchange of physical elements such as, plants, animals, diseases, and weapons.

Animals  During this time period, the ONLY domesticated animals in the Americas were...LLAMAS!  European explorers brought horses, pigs, cattle, & sheep.  This completely changed the way that the land was used!

Plants  With all of these new farm animals, it was time to start planting crops.  Europeans brought cash crops to the Americas: sugar, rice, wheat, coffee, bananas, & grapes.  These new crops flourished in the Americas.

Meanwhile…  Europeans find crops in the Americas:  Maize (corn)  tomatoes ( think ITALY ),  tobacco  cacao (chocolate) ( think SWITZERLAND )  Beans  cotton  They bring these plants back to Europe, where they are very popular.

Disease Europeans (unknowingly) brought over diseases that the natives weren’t immune to. These diseases spread by air & touch. Most Common:  Smallpox  measles  diphtheria  whooping cough  chickenpox  bubonic plague  scarlet fever  influenza

Old World (Europe, Asia, & Africa) ContributionNew World ( The Americas ) Apples, bananas, citrus fruits, grapes, melons, peaches, pears Fruits Pineapples, tomatoes, papaya, strawberries Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, radishes Vegetables Avocados, green beans, pumpkins squash Barley, oats, rice, rye, wheat Grains Maize (corn) Black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger Spices Chili peppers, vanilla Coffee, tea Drinks Chocolate Sugar cane, olives Other Plants Tobacco Cattle, chickens, donkeys, goats, horses, pigs, sheep Animals Guinea pigs, llamas, turkeys Cholera, malaria, measles, mumps, small pox, typhoid, yellow fever Diseases Syphilis

Devastating Effects Natives had no natural resistance to European diseases and the population dramatically decreased for decades.  Inca empire decreased from 13 million to 2 million in  North American population fell from 2 million in 1492 to 500,000 in 1900

Impact  Different Foods & Animals Over time, crops native to the Americas became staples in the diets of Europeans. These foods provided nutrition, thus helping people live longer.  Economics Activities like cattle ranching and coffee growing were not possible before this time.

Effects Around the Globe  China: Arrival of easy-to-grow, nutritious corn helped the population grow tremendously.  Africa:  Two native crops of Americas—corn & peanuts--among most widely grown today. What did they pick up from Africa to take back home with them?