American Exchange
The American Exchange is sometimes termed as the Columbus exchange because the coming of St. Christopher Columbus into Americas led to a revolutionary way of dealing with things1. Columbus set foot on Americas in 1493 bringing with him many goodies that Americas had never seen2. From then on, many things were introduced in the region including unique species of plants and domestic animals. In addition to this, there were several aspects that were negative with this period. In this essay, the learner takes a closer look at American Exchange between the period 1500 and 1800 and its contribution in shaping the modern world. In this essay, the learner adopts four critical themes that best depict the effect and contributions that the American Exchange has had over the years to the modern world.
i) Humans and the Environment
The coming of Christopher Columbus brought, not just seeds and other domestic animals, but also a host of disease causing organisms3. Initially, Americas had a handful of domestic animals including llamas and alpacas4 that lived on the Andes Mountains. The new animals brought by Columbus were significant carriers of disease causing organisms5. This resulted to massive deaths thereafter dabbed ‘The Great Dying’, where it is estimated that over 40 million Native Americans died between this periods6. In addition to this, another estimated 80 to 90 percent of infant mortality rate is also recorded for the same period especially for the first generation upon Columbus arrival7.
These catastrophic occurrences compelled sea merchants to seek other alternatives to populate the already disserted and ill-fated country with forced immigration especially from Africa being perceived as the most viable option8. These sea merchants collaborated with wretched African leaders at the time who sold their slave workers and other captives in exchange for other goods9. Those who were mostly captured were young men and women, who were deemed fit for reproduction, as well as fit to continue with labor to fill in the gap for the dead natives10. Historians estimate over 16 million slaves, rich with the cream of the Africa continent, were moved to Americas with 42 % going to the Caribbean, another 38 % went to Brazil, while only 5 % reached North America11’12. This disruption adversely wedged family life and villages with West Africa receiving the heaviest blow13.
This immense labor machines led to increased deforestation to process the now increased sugar cane production as a result of slavery14. It is argued that from a sugar cane planter’s point of view, the slave labor came at a much affordable rate especially bearing in mind that Africans had much experience in cultivation15.
It is also good to note that during this period, there was an increase in economic prospects and exchange especially with the development of industries16. This was further characterized by an increase in diplomatic relations, alliance formation, envoys sent to address diverse issues as well as securing political and security stance against rivals17. The absence of metallurgy in America led to increased exploration and mining of gold and silver mostly in South America and Mesoamerica18. Increased mining activities led to an increase in deforestation to acquire as much mineral deposits as possible19, an aspect that deteriorated leading to the imminent global climatic changes that is headed towards a critical climatic shift.
ii) Economic Center of Gravity
The American Exchange led to an increase in global exchange. For example, it is noted that, as a result of American exchange, many sailors found themselves in a quagmire in as far as determining their drive towards increased exploration20. While some were motivated by curiosity coupled with a sense of adventure, others were motivated by new and emerging technological advancements especially in navigation and improved transport machinery21.
Industrialization brought about increased standard of living, new work patterns characterized by stringent timetables, revised social patterns, new energy sources and urbanization22. Urbanization is currently blamed for a mix of challenged today mainly in line with challenges in water delivery systems, police systems, public education, sewerage disposal system and fire protection23.
iii) Evolution in Military Power
During the same period, weapons of warfare became vociferous and increasingly rancorous. The warring game had changed, from the traditional use of crude weapons, to use of modern and more lethal weaponry24’25’26. For instance, while defending their stance in the year 13-Rabbit, Cuauhtémoc was subjected to a massacre when their 300,000 warriors standing guard to protect the city from the invasion by Spaniards were mauled by the veracious power of gunpowder27. A revealing 60,000 warriors were left, leading to a revolution in weaponry in many states28. It is claimed that every time the Spaniards fired their cannons, apart from the terror from the sound reverberating and shuddering the ground and surrounding structures, a great confusion met the Aztecs29.
iv) Humans and Ideas
Disasters and the industrial revolution were not the only things that are worth mention for the American Exchange. Also, it is reasonable to mention the contribution that education has had over time. Over the same period, there happened to be increasing intellectual transformation too30. In recent times, erudite works by Socrates, Plato, Fermat, Baudrillard to mention but a few, have sharpened past theories by either offering more proof in support of these theories, putting forward new theories. In general, the period between 1500 and 1800 saw increased intellectual transformation with many emerging notion on development of new technologies, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, questioning the rationale behind humanity, political authority and religion31. These rationale led to religious transformation like the one fervently launched by Martin Luther back in 1517 in Germany leading to protestant reformation32. This became a stiff challenge to the monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church33
Past exploratory activities by European merchants aided in answering vital geographic queries like the circumference of the earth, wind and current patterns among others that have enabled smoother sailing, which is imperative to formation of global institutions, global economies, global culture, global migration and global inequalities34. Other notable changes as a result of human ideas include the realization of political realignment and transformation especially with the emergence of capitalism whose effects are still evident in banking, manufacturing and financial sectors35.
Conclusion
In conclusion, apart from introduction of new crops and various domestic animals, the American Exchange is also characterized with a formidable death pattern from diseases and massacres in addition to massive environmental impacts whose effects continue to be felt to date. Slavery was perceived as the best option to replenish the fast-dying Native American generation. Industries cropped up leading to urbanization and weapons of warfare changed especially with the introduction of gunpowder leading to emergence of super powers nations. Finally, the American exchange is credited with introduction of rational thinking that changed the status quo on various fronts leading to groundbreaking discoveries.
Reference
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (African Writers Series: Heinemann, 1996).
Jerry Bentley, Herbert Ziegler, and Heather Streets-Salter, Traditions and Encounters. (3rd ed.).: A Brief Global History (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009).
Miguel León-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico (Boston: Beacon Press, 1962).
