In 1492, a historical event occurred. Christopher Columbus began his voyage to the new world, which consisted of cultural and social diffusion/exchanges between Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas. From
1492 to 1750 many continuities and changes in social conditions between these countries took place, consequently changing the world forever. Proving that as Europeans came to economically control trans-
Atlantic trade, their influence over the social customs of Native Americans and Africans also expanded.
During this time period, there were several social conditions that remained the same. Patriarchies were male dominated societies, popular in Europe but then imposed on the Americans after the trans-Atlantic voyage.
The spread of religion
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Clearly, Europeans thought these people were inferior to them and therefore treated them very poorly. Diseases also troubled people of the new world. Many Natives, approximately 50% of their population died because they lacked the immunities needed to survive diseases such as smallpox. So if people did not die from diseases, they died from slave exploitation and unsanitary living conditions.
The encomienda system was created during this time by the Spanish to control and regulate Native
American labor and behaviors during the colonization of the Americas. Essentially adding to the decrease in population in Africa and America. But a huge profit for the Europeans. Another social change was the diffusion of religion between the Natives, and the Africans. In Haiti, they practiced Voodoo, which is known to be a combination of African, Catholic, and Native American traditions. Santeria, in Cuba, is a religion that replaces the worshiping of gods with that of saints, and it is known to have African descent.
Some economic changes also occurred during this time such as the Europeans becoming wealthy at the expense of Native Americans and Africans. The spread of plants, animals, and ideas also impacted