The Columbian Exchange Beginning of the World Economy

Themes in the Video What are the major themes of the video The Columbian Exchange? –the significance of the seemingly insignificant things exchanged –the significance of the movements of people (not as conquistadores) occasioned by the discovery and colonization of the New World –the development of whole cultures as the outcome of the exchange of flora and fauna from one hemisphere to another

What Was Exchanged? Old World to AmericaAmerica to Old World Diseasessmallpox, measles, influenza, diphtheria, whooping cough syphilis (a.k.a. "the pox") Animalshorses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens Cropswheat, vines, citrus, other fruits maize, potatoes (white and sweet), beans, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, manioc, papayas, guavas, avocados, pineapples, cacao, tobacco Peoplemilitary, businessmen, poor immigrants, slaves Otherreligionsilver and gold

The Exchange of Diseases the character of epidemics –the need for concentrations of people –how gene pools develop with resistence to strains of diseases the apparent absence of epidemic diseases in the New World prior to 1492 –dense populations in valley of Mexico and in Peruvian highlands –close to the margin, but not yet at it? the emergence of several "childhood" diseases in the New World shortly after the arrival of the Spanish

The Demographic Collapse Some contending estimates: – b3.htmhttp:// b3.htm

Contending Views of Demographic Collapse

The Demographic Collapse virtab3.htmhttp:// virtab3.htm mexico_population.htmhttp://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/PSci/Inst21/ mexico_population.htm Consequences: –Loss of cultural confidence – ec_old_men.htmhttp://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/PSci/Inst21/azt ec_old_men.htm

Varieties of Old and New World Staples (millions of calories per hectare) Chief American CropsChief Old World Crops Maize7.3Rice7.3 Potatoes7.5Wheat4.2 Sweet Potatoes/ Yams 7.1Barley5.1 Manioc/Cassava9.9Oats5.5

Growth of World Population

Example: Cattle Ranching

The Potato and Population Growth in Ireland YearMillionsYearMillions