Intercontinental Exchange Research Paper
The intercontinental exchange began when the Europeans arrived in the Caribbean. It consisted of the intended and inadvertent introduction of pathogens, plants, animals, technology, ideas, and religion between North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. It was a benefit and a detriment to each continents people.
Perhaps the biggest catastrophe that occurred due to intercontinental exchange was the spread of pathogens and disease. Europeans and later Africans brought smallpox and a host of other diseases with them to America, where those diseases killed as much as 90 percent of the native population of two continents. Europeans came away lucky, with only a few tropical diseases from Africa and, probably, syphilis from the New World. In America, disease destroyed …show more content…
When the Spanish conquerors controlled the southwest territories of North America they began to set up mission colonies. These colonies held churches as a place to convert Natives to Catholicism and would later spread up the coast of California. Positive influences also occurred with the exchange of animals such as hogs, sheep, cattle, and most importantly horses. When the Native Americans accidentally came across horses that belonged to the Spanish, they found new ways of hunting and traveling, also warfare was changed because the Indians could now move swiftly on the battlefield making killing and evading much more effective. Hogs, sheep, and cattle were also an important food source for the exchanging countries. However, some of these animals did carry disease with them and in turn killed people that domesticated them for agricultural purposes (learnnc.org). Plants and food were also a positive outcome of intercontinental exchange. New sources of foods that contained necessary vitamins and nutrition were traded amongst the Americas and Europe. Yams, potatoes, and grain to name a few were all introduced around this
Perhaps the biggest catastrophe that occurred due to intercontinental exchange was the spread of pathogens and disease. Europeans and later Africans brought smallpox and a host of other diseases with them to America, where those diseases killed as much as 90 percent of the native population of two continents. Europeans came away lucky, with only a few tropical diseases from Africa and, probably, syphilis from the New World. In America, disease destroyed …show more content…
When the Spanish conquerors controlled the southwest territories of North America they began to set up mission colonies. These colonies held churches as a place to convert Natives to Catholicism and would later spread up the coast of California. Positive influences also occurred with the exchange of animals such as hogs, sheep, cattle, and most importantly horses. When the Native Americans accidentally came across horses that belonged to the Spanish, they found new ways of hunting and traveling, also warfare was changed because the Indians could now move swiftly on the battlefield making killing and evading much more effective. Hogs, sheep, and cattle were also an important food source for the exchanging countries. However, some of these animals did carry disease with them and in turn killed people that domesticated them for agricultural purposes (learnnc.org). Plants and food were also a positive outcome of intercontinental exchange. New sources of foods that contained necessary vitamins and nutrition were traded amongst the Americas and Europe. Yams, potatoes, and grain to name a few were all introduced around this