Is the World a Better or Worse Place Due to the Columbian Exchange?

œIs the world a better or worse place due to the Columbian Exchange?"

The Columbian Exchange began with Christopher Columbus. Trying to reach the East Indies by going west he landed on what is present day Bahamas. Finding Native People there he called them Indians. (Believing he reached India.) Returning to Europe news spread fast about this New World. Exploration to the West soon started after this. The trade between Europeans and Native Americans is known as the Columbian Exchange.

I believe the world is a better place due to the Columbian Exchange. It brought two separate worlds into one. Europeans began to colonize alleviating the over population in Europe. Poor Europeans now had work and a chance at new life. Europe's economy rose due to the new products being exported out of the new world. Such products consisted of Avocado, Corn, Beans, Chili, Cocoa, Coffee, Papaya, Tomato, Peanut, Potatoes, and many more. New animals were also found in the new world, such as squirrel, aphid, chiggers, guinea pigs, muskrat, and turkey. Europeans who disagreed with religious aspects of Europe could now come to the new world and start colonies with their own beliefs. All these had a positive effect on Europe.

On the other hand Native Americans had both negative and positive effects. Europeans brought many diseases with them to the New World that killed thousands upon thousands of Natives, essentially eradicating them. Never seeing diseases such as Bubonic Plague, Amoebic Dysentery, Mumps, Smallpox, Measles, Malaria, and the Flu Natives had absolutely no immunity to them. However these diseases would have eventually hit America weather the Europeans came or not. This is the only negative affect that occurred out of the Columbian Exchange. Europeans brought many new animals and food with them that they introduced to the Natives. Among the new animals were the Horse, Sheep, Chicken, and Pigs. The Horse allowed Natives to kill larger game easier such as Buffalo or Bison. It also served as transportation. A sheep's wool could serve as clothes. The sheep itself, chicken, and pig could be domesticated and raised for food. Europeans introduced Bananas, Barley, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sugar Cane and Wheat to the Natives. All these could be harvested and made a prime food source. This was the trade from Europe to America.

There were both positive and negative affects of the Columbian exchange. I believe most of them however were positive thus making the world a better place. If we had not discovered the New World who knows what could have happened. I could be in Europe right now and a bunch of Native Americans could be where I'm sitting now.