Columbian Exchange Thesis

Aidan C
Baldwin
1-22-22 The Columbian Exchange When Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas with goods and new technology from Europe on his three ships. When he arrived in America he met Native Americans which he thought were Indians and these native people had never met people or items like the one Christopher Columbus had. After the discovery of the Americas and all of what it has, there was a major exchange of goods to and from the Old World, the Eastern Hemisphere, and the New World or the Western Hemisphere. This exchange of goods was called the Columbian Exchange and affected the American and European societies drastically. The Columbian Exchange in the Americas had drastic and long lasting effects on the populations,

These animals would become a key component in the trading of the new world. However, they also introduced illnesses like small pox, measles, yellow fever, typhus, influenza and malaria to the Natives. Without any immunities, from lack of contact with domesticated animals, the Native Americans were left defenseless as mosquitoes and rats spread sickness all through the Columbian Exchange. 90% of the Native population would soon quickly diminish with disease starting from the Mexica and their encounter with the Spaniards. This rapid depletion was named the Great Dying and instigated immigrants colonizing America. Since so much land was being adopted, there was a supplementary need for slaves to build America. With the Native population rapidly declining and disease being spread all over the New World, African Americans were utilized for slavery bringing coerced labor into the New

Incoming cash crops like sugar. Cash crops only ran through coerced labor, which is ”individuals who are compelled against their will to provide work or service through the use of force” according to the dictionary. Sugar plantations were of significant importance to people because it was used in medicine, sweetener, spice and preservatives. With that being said, Europeans needed a substantial work force to produce more amounts of sugar, so not only African Americans were being used for slaves but also the rest of the Natives who were dying out quickly, and people who had to pay tribute through mitas. What was left of the Native Americans was forced into an encomienda where they would pay tribute per grant of Spanish Royalty. The African Americans who became slaves through the Atlantic slave trade were often those who committed crimes or kidnapped. They were thrown into chattel slavery in which they’d endure inhumane treatment. For example, they would be racially abused mentally and physically, forced to work unreasonable hours in vexatious conditions without pay, and lastly unable to have anything of their own. Not only on plantations, but also in Hacienda environments slaves were needed to work. Mainly women and children would be found doing the work that needed to be done inside rather than outside as those were the duties fit for them at the time.