The following composition states and supports the idea that the Colombian exchange produced more positive rather than negative effects in the food sector and diseases between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas due to new varieties of crops and animals for food exchanged by Europeans and Amerindians. The seven sources used in this composition offer objective and comprehensive information on the events of the Colombian Stock Exchange and its effects on the people who will thereafter live on the American continents. They explore both the positive and negative, immediate and long-term effects of this global exchange. However, they have several primary points of interest. Alfred Crosby's works are more oriented towards discussing the biological effects of the Colombian stock market rather than those related to food; Malone, Gray, Ross, Ryan, and Carney tend to focus on aspects related to food and goods; and McNeill and Mann cover both aspects equally. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Columbian Exchange was the trade of goods and diseases between Amerindians and Europeans. It all began when Christopher Columbus, the titular explorer, made his first voyage to the Americas in 1492. New crops and livestock introduced to each landmass thrived in their new environments and added variety to people's diets, but disease, an adverse transfer of The exchange caused mass deaths among the native population, but not among the Europeans because the Amerindians had far fewer diseases to share. The vast majority of these diseases were Old World diseases for several reasons. The Amerindians had moved to the New World across the Beringian land bridge, which existed in a period of mass glaciation, whose cold eliminated the risk of most diseases. The people who would later become Europeans did not experience this effect to the extent that they were in regions with higher temperatures and had larger populations with which to share diseases. The people who settled the Americas were isolated from Afro-Eurasia for millennia, so they never acquired the numerous diseases that were shared among the interconnected Afro-Eurasians for a large period of human history which allowed a variety of diseases to develop. Some of these diseases include smallpox, measles, chickenpox, influenza, malaria, and yellow fever, all easily lethal to Native Americans. However, these natives developed immunity and increased in population due to the variety of food provided by the Europeans and Americans. overcome this obstacle. Furthermore, while disease was a significant negative effect of material exchange between the Old and New Worlds, a greater quantity of favorable goods were exchanged. The favorable effects mentioned above included several domesticatable animals and plants, such as pigs, cattle, and Old World crops such as wheat, barley, rice, and turnips. The horse was one of the animals introduced to the native population, as the natives could now much more effectively and efficiently hunt large groups of animals or be more powerful in combat (Malone, Gray, Ross, Ryan). Between the Old World and the New World Many species of animals, domesticated and sometimes wild, were sent in the Colombian exchange. There were many animals shipped between the landmasses that would influence the normal working and fighting tactics of the New World. For example, there was the "transformation of the prairies and the revolution of work", the numerous cattle that pulled the plows for agriculture (Malone, Gray, Ross,Ryan). As a result of this trade across the Atlantic, we can see the difference between the level of domestication of the natives compared to that of the whites. The “difference between the animals on different sides of the Atlantic was extraordinary… The natives had but a few domestic animals… he (Christopher Columbus) brought horses, dogs, pigs, cattle, chickens, sheep and goats” (Malone, Gray, Ross, Ryan). On top of all this, the biggest impact of these new animals was the new food opportunities. The pigs brought from Europe "reproduced faster and served as meat for the explorers" (Malone, Gray, Ross, Ryan) and beyond that they were also found throughout the new land in a short period of time. Livestock were also brought, as they served multiple purposes for their original people. They were used both for food and for their skin, which was often sent back to their homeland. Not only did Europeans and Native Americans exchange animals, but crops were also exchanged between the two populations. The three main plants traded were sugar cane, corn and potatoes. Sugarcane could be processed into sugar, which became a commodity of this period. Like livestock, it was multipurpose, as it could be “used in coffee, tea, chocolate, and rum” (Malone, Gray, Ryan, Ross). Corn also had a certain importance in this exchange between the Old and New Worlds. Maize, or American corn, was used for a variety of reasons, such as its ability to be stored/dried, it could be successfully grown in numerous regions, and also its similarity to wheat. This crop could be grown quickly and in other places where wheat could not. The last major crop was potatoes. Potatoes were useful for their resistance to certain weather conditions and were "cheap food for sailors" (Malone, Gray, Ryan, Ross). Due to the introduction of this new plant, many European countries, such as Ireland, became quite dependent on it. Disease was by far the most devastating effect produced by the Colombian exchange. Before the arrival of Europeans, America was mostly disease-free due to the cold caused by the Bering Bridge and the last glaciation period. The disease was transmitted largely by unknown European domesticated animals, causing the introduction of myriad diseases such as smallpox, measles, mumps, whooping cough, influenza, chickenpox, and typhus (McNeill). The results of the epidemics were staggering: millions of natives died from these diseases due to their lack of immunity. There was a resulting shortage of labor for the Europeans, and this was a major cause of the European use of African slaves. However, the reduced native population and the reduced overall human population existing in the Americas led to environmental recovery: animals that had previously been hunted increased in number and forests that had been cut down and burned grew back (McNeill). Although diseases caused many problems, the new variety of crops, animals and plants that changed both Europe and America for centuries overcome these problems. The biological and economic effects are as positive as the introduction of the disease was negative. Columbus had the goal of introducing crops that could thrive. Cereals such as wheat, barley, and rye were brought to the Americas. Mediterranean crops such as sugar, bananas and citrus fruits also performed positively. Crops such as rice, cotton, and tobacco helped America economically. It provided the foundation for slave labor to take hold in the Americas. Although slavery had a negative impact on Africa, it is indisputable that it had a positive impact on theeconomic plan of the Americas. Like crops, animals were equally welcomed in the Americas, albeit with the exception of disease. Animals have been introduced for many purposes. Some were primarily intended for food, such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats. In addition to food, this also brought about a change in the American economy. There were now livestock-based economies. Others, including the horse, had other purposes. The introduction of the horse to the Americas revolutionized the lives of the natives. It allowed both transportation and more effective hunting of buffalo (McNeill). Afro-Eurasia also benefited. Native Amerindian crops have had significant impacts in Eurasia and South Africa. Crops such as potatoes and maize found importance in both Eurasia and South Africa. Maize became a staple crop in many regions including North Africa, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, India, and much of Europe. Its greatest impact, however, occurred in South Africa. This was the crop planted in nearly 75% of possible arable land. The potato also had a similar, if not greater, impact. In Northern Europe the crop prospered. The success of the crop led to population growth. This population growth laid the foundation for major developments such as the industrial revolution and European imperialism (McNeill). Even minor crops were important. Almost everywhere in the world, at least one American crop has been introduced that has complemented existing crops. “By the end of the 20th century, about a third of the world's food supply came from plants first grown in the Americas.” (McNeill).Food in any form brought from Europe because it was very valuable to the colonists because of its rarity and because Europeans were not accustomed to New World food. A particular story is that of Antonio de Rivera and his numerous olive tree plants. He believed that his colony, an irrigated valley in Peru, would grow olive trees well, so on one of his trips between Spain and this colony he brought many olive seedlings from the ancient one. Unfortunately for him and his settlement, only two or three survived the journey, so they became highly valuable and closely guarded, to no avail: one was stolen and transported 500 leagues to Chile (Crosby). Even so, both locations managed to develop a sizable olive oil industry in the fertile valleys along the Pacific coast of South America. This is just one of the stories where certain crops were used extensively. Disease of any kind was deadly to nearly all people in the Americas, whether they were on the coast or inland. An example of this would be the destruction of the Aboriginal people of Española and their Caribbean neighbors in the 1520s (Crosby). Europeans under the rule of Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas and came into contact with the natives there. New diseases were brought to the attention of the natives and the population began to decline, as these diseases had never been encountered by any of the native populations who came into contact with the incoming Europeans. As a result, the Aboriginal people were decimated, as “their Arawak brethren in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica (Crosby) followed them into oblivion soon after” (Crosby). Europeans inadvertently brought their diseases, and did not realize they had introduced them to the native populations because they were already immune to them and had not paid any attention to them. Because of these deadly diseases, the natives were murdered, and it was difficult for Columbus to bring some of the natives back as slaves to the queen of Spain. Explorations from 1492 onwards helped reconcile the separation between the Americas and Eurasia. Crops, pets and agentspathogens were all brought west to the New World. Amerindian crops also made their way to Eurasia and Africa. Nearly all the crops, plants, and animals of the Old World thrived in the New World environment. The export of Amerindian animals did not have the same impact as Amerindian crops or Old World crops and animals. Corn, potatoes, courgettes, chili peppers and cassava became staple crops for hundreds of millions of Europeans, Africans and Asians. These crops also allowed for population growth in the Old World. The environments of the Old World and the New World were both similar. Plants, crops, and animals were all adapted to the New World environment. However, the New World was not suited to the germs and pathogens of the Old World, which caused an initial population decline. However, as time passes, the population recovers (Crosby). Because the population recovered, the Old World and the New World exchanged crops and animals for free. Therefore, the positive effects of the exchange were achieved with few drawbacks. For a long time, biodiversity has been caused by the geographical separation of different species of life and sublife (viruses) (Crosby). The connection between the Old World and the New World began during the last period of glaciation when the Bering Land Bridge was raised higher than sea level and animals could cross it. Humans also interbred in search of prey, but while there was exchange between the two worlds, it was very minute and did not involve plants. The next exchange occurred when the Vikings discovered the New World, but this exchange was also small-scale and insignificant throughout history (Crosby). However, the most significant exchange was that of Christopher Columbus, an explorer who sought to bring wealth and power to his country, he stumbled upon in the Americas. From the Old World – Europe, Africa, and Asia – and from the New World – North America and South America – he and subsequent European explorers of the New World passed an enormous variety of plants and animals back and forth, causing drastic changes in the environment. ecosystems of both environments and in the diets of the peoples of the two continental masses (Crosby). The Columbian exchange included more than an exchange of plants and animals. There has also been an exchange of cropping systems (Carney, 2001). The introduction of some crops to the New World during the Columbian Exchange also introduced the need for labor to process those crops. Due to diseases decimating much of the native population, it was necessary to find a new source of work in the form of forced labor from Africa. Rice accompanied African migrants to the New World, and those migrants planted rice wherever they saw fit. The Columbian exchange not only affected the native population of the Americas, but also the explorers' homeland. Because the crops brought back to Europe began to be planted and mass-produced. For example, in the Mediterranean region of Europe, corn and bean plants were beginning to be seen in rural areas. “Plots of American corn in Italy, carpets of American beans in Spain” (Mann). In Europe, some nations are also starting to become dependent on some American crops. Ireland is a perfect example of this crop dependency. The American potato was their main source of food and was also one of their best exports in the world. But as the winters began to become more and more devastating, as well as longer, the potatoes began to stop growing, and as a result, when the Potato Famine occurred, most of the Irish population had little to no food. This led to a sharp decrease in the population, but that, 73(1), 365-367.