Columbian Exchange Dbq Essay

Words: 491
Pages: 2

The Columbian Exchange brought about developments in trade, food, commerce, and biological exchange. Improved food from the Americas --corn and sweet potatoes- were sought after in Asia --later in Europe also-- led to population increases. Europeans brought diseases into Americas and Pacific island territories which killed a large percentage of natives. The diseases that had the most impact because the natives had no natural immunities were smallpox and measles. A total estimate as high as 80% of the natives were killed by these diseases in the 16th and 17th centuries, The importation of slaves was put forth as a result of the Columbian Exchange. About 90-95% of all African slaves were directed towards central southern America, the best climate …show more content…
In contrast, China renounced international trade and remained isolated; although China maintained a high level of export and manufacturing industry. Asian goods were paid for in New World silver.
A direct comparison that analyzes even more is that Chinese goods paid in New World silver, while goods in the Americas method of payment was the exchange of equal worth goods and services. A second direct comparison between Asian and expansionist efforts in the 15th centuries is China specifically cut off their state-fund expanisist efforts and explorations in the Americas were still highly sought after in the later centuries. These two comparisons are related to global context because it puts China’s leading role in export in motion at a early time and the outlook on exploration being highly encouraged. In conclusion, the Columbian Exchange brought about developments in trade, food, commerce, and biological exchange. Examples of this are shown in the increased slave trade, the search for new more direct routes leading to Asia, improved food from the Americas, the exchange of deadly diseases towards natives, the conversion to Christianity in Asia, the transport of large domesticated work animals, and a system of international