“The Columbian Exchange refers to a period of cultural and biological exchanges between the New and Old Worlds. Exchanges of plants, animals, diseases and technology transformed European and Native American ways of life. Beginning after Columbus' discovery in 1492 the exchange lasted throughout the years of expansion and discovery. The Columbian Exchange impacted the social and cultural makeup of both sides of the Atlantic. Advancements in agricultural production, evolution of warfare, increased mortality rates and education are a few examples of the effect of the Columbian Exchange on both Europeans and Native Americans.” (Malone #“The Columbian Exchange”, “Animals”, “Plants”) This is about how the europeans and the natives reflected off of the discovery and used this idea for everyday …show more content…
(Malone # “The Columbian Exchange”, “Animals”, “Plants”) “For example some of these impacts were the transformation of the grasslands and revolutionizing of labor. Overgrazing by enormous herds of sheep was the reasons for the transformation of the grasslands and the availability of horse, and ox were responsible for the new power force for the land. The difference between the animals on the different sides of the Atlantic was extraordinary. The natives only had a few animal servants. They had the dog, two kinds of South American Camels, the guinea pig, and several kinds of fowls. Before the Columbian Exchange the natives had no beast of burden and did their hard labor entirely on their own. On Columbus’s second voyage in 1493 he brought horses, dogs, pigs, cattle, chickens, sheep, and goats. When the explorers brought the new animals across the ocean it introduced a whole new means of transportation, a new labor form, and a new food source. The animals were rarely troubled by the diseases the humans were. So while the humans died off, the animals were thriving on the rich wildlife. The pigs reproduced the fastest and served as meat for the explorers. Swine herds were found everywhere. In 1514, pigs had multiplied to about 30,000 in Cuba. The pig of this time was a little different then today’s pig, it was more like a speedy wild boar. Pizarro brought pigs with him to Peru