John Q. Student
Augusta State University
In the 15th century, following Christopher Columbus’ discoveries of the Americas was what we call the Columbian Exchange. This refers to the transfer of goods, ideas, and other things from the Old World (consisting of mostly eastern nations) to the New World (western nations, Americas) and vice versa. Metal and crops which were unavailable in the new and old worlds became easily accessible through this exchange, which we can consider as a very beneficial result . More modernized ideas were also introduced to those of the old world.
However, along with benefits come disadvantages as well. Not only were crops and ideas exchanged, but diseases as well. These diseases resulted in casualties exceeding that of the Black Death in Europe a while back. The people who were greatly affected by this were the isolated groups of people who were involuntarily exposed to illnesses from the foreign visitors. Another negative effect was colonization of lands made possible by European explorations. These more “modernized” nations sought more land and resources for the benefit of their own countries by abusing the small and defenseless nations (specifically in Africa and Asia). Also due to the exchange, a large labor force was required to do the work which resulted in the slavery of about 12 million Africans, spanning three centuries.
The Columbian Exchange paved the way for globalization today. If the people of the past had not decided to explore what goes beyond the seemingly endless sea, the world might be very different than how we see it today. The food we eat today may be limited to what grows around us, and we would not have mixture of colors and appearances. This event in history may not have happened without problems, but its fruits have definitely come a long way.
References
Crosby, A. W. (2011, August 18). The worldwide impact of the Columbian Exchange. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from University of Texas at Austin: http://www.utexas.edu/opa/blogs/research/2011/08/18/old-world-meets-new-in-the-columbian-exchange/
Nunn, N., & Quian, N. (2010). The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 163-188.
