The Columbian Exchange

      1492 brought one of the biggest changes to America as we know it. The Columbian Exchange was a period that became a time for both biological and cultural changes. What were these changes and why were they occurring? During this time, Europeans came over to settle in the New World (North America) where they came in contact with Native Americans who were already making a living by growing their own crops. These crops were often used to feed their village and not for sale. When the New and the Old world collided, it started a new way of life. The expansion of the Europeans was creating a whole new life for them, but also creating problems for the Native Americans. Somethings that were transferred between both Natives and Europeans were animals, technology,  education, and diseases.  
Diseases were transferred from Europe and brought over with them on the ships. This often times wiped out villages of Europeans as well as the Native Americans. These diseases were syphilis, smallpox, chicken pox, measles, and malaria.

                Despite the illnesses that were shared amongst each other, there are many positive aspects to this New World. During this time, the Europeans were more technologically advanced than the Native Americans. They brought a written alphabet that was originally used over in Europe. Europeans often used this alphabet to “educate” natives about Christianity, attempting to convert them. In a Social Darwinism sense, Europeans believed that Christians were above the barbaric natives. They believed that unless natives accepted Jesus they would be damned, also a common religious belief among them, would bond them greater than any written code. The Natives often believed in animism. This was a super natural world that involves power and a soul of all living things. Because of this belief, “They were protective of the natural world. Natives allowed themselves to use things, but did not allow themselves to be wasteful”- Dr. Holden.

          The Old World brought over animals such as horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chicken. These animals were used as working animals as well as food. Before this exchange, natives worked hard on their own without the labor of animals. One of the downfalls about bringing over animals were cattle, especially because they were ruining the natives' crops since they were large and grazed the land for food. The Black Rat came over on accident and caused the disappearing of a whole colony due to diseases such as the bubonic plaque.

Europeans were also being stretched and challenged during this time by the natives. The natives were advanced in the agriculture world. Some natives taught the Europeans ways to grow their crops. In America, they grew corn, beans, squash, sunflower, chili peppers, potatoes, avocados, etc. Their most important crop was the corn crop. Corn was not only consumed by humans, but also their livestock.

    

 "The Columbian Exchange." The Columbian Exchange. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

 "Columbian Exchanges." Columbian Exchanges. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.