America has been a prime example for a lot of countries, an example of the independence and freedom, and a lot of governments around the world have now followed its lead. However, it is important to remember how exactly Americas got where it is at the moment, and one of the major things that brought America there is a Columbian exchange. Being an immigrant, I have heard about the Columbian exchange in the school in Ukraine during the world history classes, but I have never looked into it, and reading those chapters have definitely challenged me to understand this topic and have a better comprehension of what have happened in the end of 15th and 16th century in Americas, why, and what was its effect on the America and the world we live in today. Effect of the Columbian exchange on the demographics of the Natives and the Americas overall was one of the greatest events in history, and there can be two sides of looking at it, where one would be from the view of the people back in the day, as well as looking at it from the current perspective. One could definitely see that the Americas have changed dramatically and it is clear that such a sudden change that happened because of the Columbian exchange in 1492 was very painful for all nations in the Americas.
If you were to look at the perspective from back in the time, when the exchange had occurred, it seemed like a very negative event because of how many critical and significant changes it has brought to the lives of the Natives in Americas. In 1492, the Americas was a stable home for many tribes such as the Mayans, Aztecs, as well as nations and empires that were built there. Some of the Natives in Central Mexico, that was the most occupied area in the Americas at the time of the Columbian exchange, have had knowledge and societies that were very sophisticated; the Mayans even created their own calendar, as well as complex religions that a lot of Natives’ believed in. However, in the first century of the European encounter, Natives lives have changed greatly and dramatically. Consequences of the Columbian exchange were negative for the population at the time of the event and have brought a lot of pain into the lives of the nations in the Americas. For example, civilizations were faced with enslavement, harsh working conditions, competition for resources, war, and especially disease. These changes were coupled with transformations in their everyday lives like the introduction of new foods, clothing, tools, and language, not to mention religions that were changed with the Europeans. There being four categories of the Columbian exchange, as discussed in the book, such as microbes and diseases, humans, plants and animals, four of them together is exactly what creates a place to thrive for nations. With all those four subjects being affected and altered, survival seemed like a very challenging thing to do. It was an unequal exchange because as a result of it, a lot of diseases came to America with the Europeans, and the Natives’ immune systems were not prepared for that. All of the diseases that were brought were terrifying and had a lot of destruction and annihilations of the populations. Even with such a small and simple disease that people in Europe could’ve survived like chickenpox, it brought a lot of death; while smallpox, that is not as common anymore, has destroyed entire populations of the nations in the Americas, leaving it, in the most cases, with less than 50% of the population. The isolation of Natives from the Old World has caused them to not have any immunity from measles, influenza, and other European diseases. As a result, Columbian exchange has brought a lot of loss and pain in the Americas as a result of the European diseases, which makes it look like a very negative event.
However, by looking onto the bigger picture from the perspective of the year 2018, one can definitely make a parallel that Columbian exchange was a needed sacrifice from the side of the Natives for the better of the Americas as they are today. Without the changes that nations in the Americas were forced to face, people in modern America would not be as advanced as they are. Europeans have brought a lot of domesticated animals that have changed the lifestyle of the people in the Americas as well as the landscape, it changed the eating habits, as well as the mobility of the people, with the Europeans bringing the horse to the Americas. Even though Natives’ were sophisticated, they did not have any metallurgy or machines, where Europe was already ahead of them. Natives’ were not able to travel long distances by sea or by the land, and after their contact with Europeans in 1492, Native Americans were able to travel on the horses; they got weapons to protect them, and ships to travel by sea to the different continents, as well as a variety of crops and animals. When Natives’ saw clocks, “they thought they were the works of gods than men”, and those were the first steps in the history of America becoming one of the most advanced civilizations. Europe also brought the elements of Africa into the Americas, and then later, in 1570 Asian aspects were brought via the Manila Galleon trade route across the Pacific to the Philippines. As a result, the Columbian exchange affected almost every nation on Earth. While it did bring destruction, it has also brought a wide variety of livestock and crops to both Americas and Europe, that had eventually increased the population on Earth.
In conclusion, I would like to say that from my point of view and from reading the book, the Columbian exchange was a very hurtful event for the Natives’, though, it was an event that combined the New World and the Old World together and it was needed for the progress of both. Looking back, without the Columbian exchange, I do not believe that the world would be where it is at the moment, as well as the United States would not be as advanced as it is, because from that point on, the progress has begun, and now, America is the country that combines all the nations and welcomes all the immigrants like myself.
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