Abstract
America is one of the countries in the world that has quite a rich history. Right from its discovery, colonization and the rise to a super-power, there is everything to enjoy when studying the American history. Since the history is so broad and rich, it is quite impossible to describe it at once. Therefore, taking account of some of the major events, characteristics and people shaping its history can help in understanding it. This essay looks at Columbus and the foods available in the Americas.
Columbus
When talking about the history of the Americas, it is practically impossible to mention Christopher Columbus, the man believed to be behind the discovery of the Americas (Ibiblio.org, n.d). His voyage of 1942 in search of the East through the West saw him dock at the American coast with little or no knowledge that he had discovered new land that was so rich in both agricultural and mineral wealth. In his mind and the minds of his crew, the assumption was that they had landed at the Far East where they aimed to go in search for spices.
Columbus’ discovery was quite significant to the lives of the native inhabitants of the Americas, the Red Indians. These were the people who were living on the land and whose main activity was hunting and gathering. However, their life was bound to change with the exposure of their land. Due to Columbus’ discovery, America became exposed to the world. Many people came into the land and the resources therein were exploited. This meant that the life of the Indians could not go on as it used to be. They had to adapt to the new life that faced them.
Foods Found in the Americas
As indicated above, America is rich in both agricultural and natural resources. Agricultural productivity ensures that the country is well supplied with food products for all. For the Indians, who are vegans, there are varieties of food crops available (King, 1992). Below are some of the foods that were domesticated in the Americas and are still commonly used in the country.
There are tomatoes which originated from Mexico but are commonly found in the Andes. Chili Pepper is one of the spices commonly used, which is also a favorite of the Indians. Peanut and manioc are also on the list as does the sweet potatoes, also native to Mexico. The liking for sweet potatoes saw it travel across the Pacific to Asia (King, 1992).
Corn is by far a very common food crop in America. Corn originated from Europe and went on to become one of the commonly grown crops in America. Corn is common since the American lands as well as the climate are favorable for its production. Green corn is one of the staples in the American land.
References
Ibiblio.org. (n.d). Christopher Columbus. Retrieved on 6th March 2012 from http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html
King, S. (1992). Foods That Changed the World. Pacific Discovery, Vol. 45(1), pp. 23-31. Retrieved on 6th March 2012 from http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/Ethnobotany/page5.php
