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Christopher Columbus Trade Triangle Essay

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Constantinople fell to the Ottomans and the European trade routes to Asia closed down. In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from Europe to the Americas thinking he was going to India. He arrived in India, which was actually the Caribbean, and called the Native Americans “Indians”. Christopher Columbus went back to Europe and told people. When the word got out Christopher Columbus and his fellow went back to the Americas. They begin to explore and conquest Americas. The Americas were connected by trade to Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Europeans traded horses, cattle, grapes, bananas etc. The Europeans also traded diseases such as small pox. The diseases spread and killed many Americans. The Americas traded potatoes, turkey, corn, tobacco etc. …show more content…

The first leg of the triangle was from Europe to Africa. Europeans brought things such as cloth, textiles, guns and ammunition. These were known as manufactured goods. The second leg of the triangle was from Africa to the Americas. Africa to the Americas is known as the Middle Passage. The slaves suffered and many died while going to the Americas. The slaves that lived through the horrible time on the boat they were auctioned off to farmers in the Americas. The Americas has tobacco and they needed somebody to work for them. The slaves would be working on the fields growing cash crops. The plantation system in the Caribbean and the Americas destroyed indigenous economics and damaged the environment. The third leg of the triangle was from the Americas to Europe. Raw materials such as tobacco, crops, rum, sugar, and cotton went to Europe.
The difference between the Colombian Exchange and the Triangular trade is that the Triangular trade were more focused on slave labor. They needed slaves to work on the plantations to grow crash crops to make money. The Triangular trade was between three different continents. On the other hand, the Colombian Exchange was between only two different continents. During the Colombian Exchange slaves were not transported. The slaves didn’t come involve until the Triangular trade when the Americas needed slaves to work on plantations to grow crash

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