Columbian Exchange Research Paper

Words: 618
Pages: 3

The Columbian Exchanges refers to the increase of global commerce or globalization. This began with Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the new world, the New World and Old World transfer goods, crops, and diseases after 1492. The Columbian Exchange affected political, economical, and social points of everybody involved lives. First, and foremost, the use of politics embodied the Columbian Exchange. Through the Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain assured it’s first claim to the New World. This treaty ultimately split through the Atlantic Ocean, and gave Spain the west territories and the east to Portugal. With this, Spain’s Colonial Empire was growing hastily. Many towns and cities thrived in the Americas. However, other countries were sneaking around their domain, trying to get a piece of Spain’s wealth. Consequently, Spain began to build up their borders to keep them out. Encomienda was another effect of the Columbian Exchange. This gave the government the power to “commend” or give, Indians to certain …show more content…
The Columbian Exchange, at the hand of Africa, introduced slave labor based on race to the New World. A new culture was created, mestizos - people mixed of Indian and European heritage. This was per Cortés’s groups marriages with Indians.Columbus introduced sugar to the warm Caribbean climate where it thrived. This caused a mass migration of Africans to work the cornfields and sugar mills of the New World, this allowed the “sugar revolution” in the European diet. The biggest factor of the Columbian Exchange to society was disease. The Old World brought forth deadly and unknown diseases to the New World people. Some of the worst were smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria. In return, the New World though unintentionally gave the early settlers syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, that traveled Europe for the first time. Many factors played in the social effects of the Columbian