The Columbian Exchange In 1492, Columbus first steeped onto the continent of the Americas, marking the begging of the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange has a far reaching impact on both eastern and western hemispheres. Thereby, the discovery of the New World led to the introduction of Native American slaves and corns in the Old World, and the introduction of horses, smallpox, Christianity and Encomienda System in the New World. It greatly changed the lives of both Europeans and Native Americans. Firstly, Native Americans were captured as slaves to send to the Old World as a result of the Columbian Exchange. The Europeans viewed the Native Americans as savages and thought the Native Americans would be good slaves, so they enslaved most of them. The Europeans’ original goal was to chase for wealth, therefore, they forced the Native Americans to find gold for them, and however, unfortunately, they failed and were mercilessly killed by the Europeans. Moreover, Spanish people grew new types of crops they discovered in the New World, like corn and potato, thus, the Native …show more content…
Corn is a very important and staple food source, one that can maintain high energy and can provide abundant nutrition. Corn transformed nomadic bands into settled agricultural villagers, and when it transformed to Europe, it led to a drastically population growth, solved the starvation and revolutionized European diet. Moreover, the horses from the Europe also had profound influence on the New World. The arrival not only transformed their lifestyle into a mobile one, especially on the Great Plains, but also the communication between tribes. The food supplies increased and transportation cost reduced because Native Americans could use horses to hunt more efficiently and to carry heavier loads. What’s more, where there is more communication, there is more trade and conflicts which led to tribal