The Impact Of The Columbian Exchange On Native Americans

Overall the Columbian exchange is an unbalanced system, in which Native Americans were more greatly impacted. Afro-Eurasians provided cattle and horses (which produced war and famine), weeds (which destroyed natural flora and fauna), diseases (which decimated ninety percent of the population) and slavery (which introduced racial discrimination); and in turn the Americas provided silver (which enabled Spain to become a global superpower), corn and potatoes (which re-shaped the Afro-Eurasian diet), and land (which allowed the western hemispheric nations to expand.) Though the Columbian exchange transformed European diet and culture (with the introduction of New World crops), Europe was not eradicated from existence. With disease, slavery, war,
and famine produced by European interactions, Native American populations were decimated (as approximately 250,000 out of the 18 million indigenous people were left) Although millions of Native Americans were killed by disease, warfare, and genocide, food staples like corn and potatoes, eventually replaced the lost global population. It does not, however, condone the acts of barbarism the Spaniards and the other colonizing nations committed on the indigenous population of the Americas.
All together the Columbian Exchange impacted the entire world, and is still doing so today. Human diets are more diverse, as different cultures begin to assimilate into new cultures. Across the globe, humans have more diseases in common, more cuisine in common, and more fashion in common. Modern transportation (such as airplanes) quickly spread diseases from one continent to another, just as Colonists ships had done in the 16th Century. Capitalism is now the dominant economic force in the world today; creating economic disparities seen during the Columbian exchange resulting in protests worldwide, such as occupy Wall Street. Just as Europe had Europeanized the Americas, the United States of America is doing so now to the East. Country’s cultures are reshaped by American industries (i.e. McDonalds) leading to new diets (causing obesity) and new social ideologies such as the rights of women. Now, when an Americans leaves his or her house to visit a country they are still surrounded by the ‘comforts’ of home. Although slavery is banned around the world, racial discrimination and racial prejudices are still woven in the fabric of our culture
today. Racial discrimination, has caused murders, hate crimes, and protests all of which we have the Columbian Exchange to thank for. The discovery of the Americas, and their produce, created a global interest in the world during the 15th through 16th century, just as it does today. As the industrial world expands into uncharted seas and land, human contaminate the biosphere, introducing unknown species, disrupting local habitats, and causing irreversible ecological ramifications (as seen in the introduction of zebra mussels to the great lakes.) The world today is becoming ever more homogenized just as it had done so in the Columbian Exchange. All in all, the Columbian Exchange whether positive or negative, established a symbiotic world, with the interchanging of peoples and ecology; paving the way for the world we live in today.