The Columbian Exchange

EQ: Why would the 'Columbian Exchange‘ be the most important result of European colonization of

The Americas?

Spain’s Empire in the Americas

– By the early 1500’s the Spanish were in the Americas

• Spanish explorers are called conquistadors and wanted to explore the

world.

Spain’s Empire in the Americas

• Spanish defeated two large Empires to establish themselves as the biggest player in the Americas:– Incas in South America– Aztecs in Central America (more on them

lated)

Spain’s Empire in the Americas– There was a social class

system in the colonies that was based on birthplace and ethnic group.

• On the top was the peninsulares-the Spanish colonists born in Spain

• A Creole was someone who was born to peninsulare parents in the colony

• A Mestizo was a person who had both Spanish and Native parents

• The lowest were mulatto, which were people of Spanish and African heritage

• Spain also gave the colonists encomiedas, and forced the natives to work in the gold and silver mines.

The Columbian Exchange• “The Columbian Exchange” is the sharing of cultures

that transformed the lives of two continents.

• Its was a two-way process with people, goods, and ideas moving back and forth.

• The four main elements are: • Disease• Animals • Plants• Religion

The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange”

The “Columbian The “Columbian Exchange”Exchange” Squash Avocado Peppers Sweet

Potatoes

Turkey Pumpkin Tobacco Quinine

Cocoa Pineapple

Cassava POTATO

Peanut TOMATO Vanilla MAIZE

Syphilis

Olive COFFEE BEAN Banana Rice

Onion Turnip Honeybee Barley

Grape Peach SUGAR CANE

Oats

Citrus Fruits Pear Wheat HORSE

Cattle Sheep Pigs Smallpox

Flu Typhus Measles Malaria

Diptheria Whooping Cough

Trinkets

Liquor

GUNS

The Exchange can be positive or negative in its effects

• In the exchange that was made widespread by Columbus, Disease was the most negative for Indian peoples

• Fatality rate over a period of two to three generations was 95% for many tribal groups

Europeans believed that it was God’s will that Indians died

• There was no germ theory at the time of contact

• Illness in Europe was considered to be the consequence of sin

• Indians, who were largely “heathen” or non-Christian were regarded as sinners and therefore subject to illness as a punishment

Diseases• New World:

– Syphilis, polio, hepatitis and encephalitis were New World diseases that infected Europeans.

– Europeans succumbed to Malaria easily

– These diseases were NOT airborne, so harder to get.

• Old World: – Smallpox, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, chicken pox, bubonic

plague, scarlet fever and influenza were the most common European disease that were sent to New World

– Nearly all of the European diseases were communicable by air and touch.

PLANTSAmericas

• Maize• Potato• Tomato• Tobacco• Beans• Cacao• Cotton

Europe

• Sugar• Rice• Wheat• Coffee• Banana• Grapes

Animals

Americas

• Turkey

Europe

• Cattle

• Horse

• Pigs

• Sheep

Religion

Europeans wanted to convert “forcefully” sometimes, the natives to Christianity (almost exclusively Catholicism”

• Spanish developed many “Missions”, or outposts consisting of a church and smaller community to convert the natives’

• Missions were the foundation of several American cities:– Founders of key USA cities such as San Antonio,

El Paso, Santa Fe, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco.

MercantilismMercantilismMercantilismMercantilismThe economy and trade

are essential to the health and safety of the nation.

1.Get as much gold and silveras you can.

2.Establish a favorable balance of trade.

3.Get colonies.