Daisha Madden
December 4, 2014
Mr. Basoco
Word Count:
Cristóbal Calón better yet know as Christopher Columbus was born October 30, 1451. He was born in the Republic of Genoa, which is today a part of Italy. He was born to the parts of Domenico Colombo, who was a wool-weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa. Not much information was given on Christopher Columbus’s childhood but it is evident that he grew up very educated and had great parents and a good support system because he was able to speak several languages by the time he became an adult. At the age of fourteen Christopher Columbus took his first trip out on to the sea. As you can see he was very young when he went out the first time so this may have been why he took so many journeys when he got older. He decided to complete four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. While on these voyages he was looking to establish permanent settlement on the Hispaniola Island. This initiated the Spanish Colonization of the New World. After being turned down by numerous people about his plan King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to reconsider the request Christopher Columbus made. He made a promise to them that he would bring back gold and spices which we all know is important to them in this time period. He also asked to be admiral of the seas and the governor of the discovered lands. The year 1492 definitely represented the major turning point in world’s history due to the Columbian Exchange. Christopher Columbus set out to sail on this very year. With the funds he received from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella he was able to retrieve three ships, the Pinta, Nina, and the Santa Maria. Of course he didn’t go on this journey alone but instead he brought 104 men along with him. After departure they were on the sea for about five weeks. Christopher Columbus of course didn’t plan to be out on the water for this long simply because he miss calculated how big the world actually was. By being on the sea for such a long period of time like that of course some people would die. Many of the men who died while at sea their deaths consisted of diseases and not being able to eat or drink. Although his voyage was considered long it was definitely worth it because it changed America and Europe for the better of mankind. The Columbian Exchange is simply a period where cultural and biological exchanges occur between the new world and the Old worlds. This exchange consists of animals, plants, diseases, and technology. The Columbian Exchange is what helped remodel European and Native American ways of life and how they decided to do things differently. This Exchange affected both the Europeans and the Native Americans in a major way. There were definitely advancements in agricultural production, mortality rates increased, evolution of warfare, and education as a whole was changed. Because of Christopher Columbus discovery this Columbian Exchange was drawn out and didn’t end until after the years of expansion and discovery of the entire world. Although this exchange was very beneficial to the people of Europe and its colonies it brought great affliction to the Native Americans. It may seem as if this exchange isn’t all that great but yet the Columbian Exchange could possibly just be the single most important event in the modern world history for today. This very thing explains why in that time period certain things occurred. It explains why the Indian nations collapsed and the European colonies advanced once Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. It explains why the European nations quickly became the wealthiest and of course the most powerful nation in the world. It explains why the Africans were sold into slavery on the far side of the ocean to toil in fields of tobacco, sugar, and cotton. The Columbian Exchange definitely affected the crops of both the Old World and the New World. If it weren’t for Christopher Columbus journey