The conquest of the New World by Europeans had both positive and negative affects for both the conquered peoples and the Europeans. Although the Exploration benefited many people, it negatively affected the people in the New World enormously. Christopher Columbus decided to travel to the New World where he thought he has discovered Asia when in reality he had reached what is today the Bahamas. It was only acceptable for Columbus to assume his discovery due to his lack of knowledge of geography. After his discovery, there were various exchanges occurring with goods, diseases, and slavery. Due to the exploration of the New World, there were a few positives that came out of this conquest. Firstly, the New World received chickens, rice, rye, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and more. “Both New and Old Worlds gained from the Columbian Exchange, but the New World gained more because its plant and animal species had been diverse.”
One of the most important things that were exchanged during this time was tobacco. Tobacco was introduced to the Old World, which was something that created a massive change in their culture. Another positive outcome from the Columbian exchange was the impact it had on navigation and missionary activity. Discovering the New World allowed the explorers to aspire to further their knowledge in technology and because of this advances occurred. They improved the aspect of the compass, and now used better tools to help them measure latitude and longitude. Because of the exploration to the New World, there were many advantages to their discoveries and they changed the way of life of both Worlds. Although there were plenty of advantages from the Columbian exchange, the negative results overpowered the good of the cause. Not only was their slavery involved with the exchanges, but also an exchange of diseases. Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, malaria and whooping cough were just the few that affected the New World. “Europeans inadvertently carried diseases that had a devastating effect on the native population of America that lacked immunities.” These diseases had such an affect on the New World that “the population of Mexico dropped by more than 90 percent in the century after Cortés arrived in 1519.”
The Term Paper on The Effects of Climate and Disease in European History
At the beginning of the fourteenth century, conditions in Europe were adequate. Nobles were prospering, trade and commerce were doing fine, and agricultural production was sufficient. However, that all changed later on in the fourteenth century due to two factors. These two factors propelled Europe into one of the worst times any culture has ever seen. Climate and disease ravaged its way through ...
The people of the New World were not able to cure themselves because they were exposed to diseases that they weren’t familiar with. This resulted in numerous deaths all across the New World and became an epidemic that affected not only the culture, but also the way of life in the New World. Slavery was also a horrible result of the Columbian exchange as well. Europeans bought people from the New World to work for them as their slaved. People were beaten and treated inhumanly for all the wrong reasons. Even though the exchange involved goods, people were also mistreated and used as materials. There is nothing that can be exchanged that is worth more than the value of a human being. The Europeans took that away from the people of the New World. Many natives also lost their homes and their way of life due to the explorers taking over their land. Many were forced to become a part of Christianity due to Christopher Columbus’ want to spread his faith.
Many people were forced to convert religions due to this demand. People had their lives in order and had already built a lifestyle for themselves before the European explorers arrived. The exchange of goods means nothing compared to how the lives of so many people were affected. Many were affected emotionally and mentally just because the explorers decided to take matters into their own hands and change places that people called home. It is important that one must realize is that even though the materials that were exchanged might have been a rise in both cultures, it is incomparable to the way the people of the New World were mistreated. In conclusion, the conquest of the New World by Europeans had both pros and cons.
The Essay on The Event That Has Changed My Life
Every day some factors effect our life, but just significant event can change your life forever. In my personal example,list of events and meeting with one person, incredibly , changed my life. In 2011, i moved to Greece due to my erasmus program , during this period of time I decided to change my carrier plans, since I did not know how to do it in a proper way so i need a person to help me with ...
Due to Christopher Columbus’ wrong assumption, it changed and impacted people’s lives forever. He and his explorers changed life of the natives in more negative than positive ways. He changed them in ways that were impossible to forget or forgive. The exploration was a change in the world and a time of great curiosity. It was a change that involved new beginnings yet horrible outcomes. The exploration definitely had a negative impact more than a positive one.
Bibliography
Greene, Thomas. “The Columbian Exchange And The Reversal Of Fortune.” 27 (2007): 92-93.
