Major Changes In Latin America From 1500 To 1750

During the period of 1500 to 1750, Latin America largely influenced from the Columbian Exchange as it became one of the main regions for slaves to migrate to and different goods to be exported. Despite these changes, Latin America continued to rely on agriculture and Western Europe for luxury and goods. Initially, slavery in Latin America consisted of Latin Americans working on plantations and relying on a cheap system of forced labour to produce goods. After the Columbian Exchange took place, Latin America needed more slaves due to high demand of crops such as spices, beans, corn and etc. Many Native slaves died of diseases which they had very little immunity to and small efforts to abolish slavery was brought up by men like Bartolome de las Casas. This led to Latin America to import African slaves and overtime, this number outgrew because of the desirability of African slaves and the profit each region was able to gain. Latin America did heavily rely on Agriculture and as the demand of crops and goods rose in the 1500s, more slaves were needed to make such high profits.

Initially, following the conquest of the Aztecs, the main goal of settlers was to extract gold and other raw materials such as silver and lumber. But, this soon changed when the land was found to be fertile and the demand of cash crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton became increasingly popular in Europe in the early seventeenth century. The Columbian Exchange not only led to an exchange of animals, diseases and people, but crops such as sugar and tobacco and luxurious items such as silk and beer that were highly desirable. Latin America traded crops such as sugarcane and cotton in return for African slaves and luxurious items because slaves were largely needed to work on sugar plantations and produce crops to be traded for reasonable