Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange

American History I Online

Impacts of the Columbian Exchange When studying the various cultural influences from other countries, certain elements brought from one country into another can significantly impact the country’s culture and lifestyle. The New World was heavily influenced by certain elements form Europe and Africa while Europe was heavily influenced by certain elements from The New World. When the Europeans returned home, they brought home new crops which had a huge impact on their diets. While the rich had “meat heavy” diets, “the poor were relegated to mainly vegetables (Shelton, The Columbian Exchange). However, Europe’s vegetables were becoming scarce. People were becoming malnourished from the lack of vegetables. New crops from

Sugar was considered a luxury in Europe because it “only flourished in hot, humid regions where temperatures remained above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and where rain fell steadily or farmers had ample irrigation” (Smithsonianmag). Sugar was such a divine treat that “a medieval burgher could only afford to consume one teaspoon of the sweet granules per year” (Smithsonianmag). It was discovered by Spain that sugar flourished well in Central America. Sugar-mills were created on the islands of Central America because it required “a tremendous amount of work” (Shelton, The Columbian Exchange). The natives were “forced to work on the sugar islands” until African slaves were brought over to work. Sugar was a “huge money maker” because it had such a high demand in Europe (Shelton, The Columbian Exchange). “The birth of the sugar industry“ and “a global trade” had a huge impact on The New World (Smithsonianmag). Before horses, the natives of The New World had to walk by foot and carry their possessions. At first, the natives were frightened when “the saw men riding on horseback” (Shelton, The Columbian Exchange). However, the natives eventually “learned to ride and raise horses themselves” (Learn NC). In Northern America, horses impacted the life of the natives in the Great Plains. This permitted natives “to hunt the buffalo

Catholicism had a major impact on The New World. Majority of the natives were originally polytheistic until the Spaniards came to The New World “to spread the Christian religion” (The Unfinished Nation 11). Eventually Catholicism “ultimately extended throughout South and Central America and Mexico” (The Unfinished Nation 11). Spain “demeaned the Native tribal customs and cultures that were out there” and commanded that the natives must speak “the Spanish language and follow the Catholic religion” (Shelton, The Columbian Exchange). However, Catholicism in The New World “developed to be different than that practiced in Europe” (Shmoop). The native religions mixed “with strict Catholic teachings to create a hybrid religion that incorporated native religion into a larger frame of Catholicism” (Shmoop). This is the reason for cults like “the Virgin of Guadalupe” (Shmoop). The Virgin of Guadalupe has been worshipped by many natives except natives of Europe, who still follow the European Catholic