Persuasive Essay about The Impact of Columbian Exchange

Can you imagine a world without the same foods we eat? Could you imagine not knowing there are other countries that we could travel to? The society we live and function in today operates due to trade, without trade we wouldn’t have the same food and goods that are found in millions of people's homes. When new goods arrived in America for the first time people were able to use them to their advantage so they lived an easier life. As countries became more motivated to trade the Columbian Exchange began, which enabled people to trade goods around the world. The effects of the Columbian Exchange have been beneficial to the world because there were many technological advancements, there’s more diversity in people/cultures worldwide, and the resources we use today are from this time. 

Due to people's desire to trade, numerous technological advancements took place during the Columbian Exchange.  In paragraph 14, the author writes “Methods of navigation and mapping improved as a result of the travels of people such as Prince Henry the Navigator. Prior to his expeditions, navigators had used traditional portolan charts, which were based on coastlines and ports of call, keeping sailors close to shore.”  With better maps and navigation tools, it is easier to explore the world and be able to trade. As technology improved  it made it easier to participate in the Columbian Exchange therefore more was accomplished. The author Amanda Briney, from ThoughtCo states “The caravel was a small, highly manoeuvrable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing windward.” The Caravel was a modern ship built during the columbian exchange and the caravel was an important advancement in technology because it made trade easier. This helped trade since it was fast, maneuverable, and small. Having a good ship entices people to trade and explore which is a prime example of how technology helped people during this time. Without advancements in technology, trading in the Columbian exchange would have been entirely different just like the diversity in people would be different if the Columbian Exchange did not happen.

The diverse cultures and people in the Columbian Exchange had a huge positive impact on both the old and modern world. The author says in paragraph 12, that “The Virgin of Guadalupe became the patron saint of the Americas and the most popular among Catholic saints in general. Above all, she remains an enduring example and evidence of the Columbian Exchange.” This shows how the Mestizos were proud of their Spanish and pre-Columbian heritage so they created a public figure for people to look up to, named the Virgin of Guadalupe. This tells us how people were able to incorporate a new figure into their religion which is a positive effect of the Columbian Exchange since it showed diversity. In Biomedcentral Jordan, I. King, explains  “the Columbian Exchange can be considered to have facilitated genetic admixture among three human population groups – African, European and Native American – that had previously evolved separately for many thousands of years.” This shows that people were mixed into other populations around the world when people started exploring new places. The integration of different people was a huge benefit of the Exchange since countries have so many cultures to offer. In addition it’s a chance you can see today since thousands of people live in countries around the world. Not only diverse cultures and people around the world were a benefit of the Columbian Exchange but the resources that were traded were a life-changing improvement to millions of people.

The resources we use daily are one of the countless positive effects of the Columbian exchange that are presented in our everyday life. Paragraph 6, Britannica states “With the new animals, Native Americans acquired new sources of hides, wool, and animal protein.” This shows that the animals such as horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and goats were animals the natives had never used. With these new animals, they would have new resources that would change their life for the better. Animals were so useful to them that they used every part of the possible. he author Lewis L. Simon, from Atlantic, said “It is difficult to conceive that in Europe there were no potatoes or tomatoes before the 16th century; in the Americas, no wheat or bananas; no chili peppers in China or India; and no peanuts in Africa.” This goes to show that many of the foods we consume both now and in the 1600s come from all over the world. Without the Columbian Exchange, we would not have access to thousands of international foods that make up our diet. When new resources were introduced to the different worlds this was a benefit of the Columbian Exchange. 

Considering all the facts, the effects of the Columbian Exchange have been positively impactful to the world because of advancements in technology, diversity in people/cultures around the world, and resources used in our modern world. The evidence demonstrated proves the Columbian Exchange was commendable because technology like mapping and the caravel made trading easier. Diverse cultures and people in the world were enabled to celebrate their culture such as the Virgin of Guadalupe in addition populations of people coming from many different backgrounds were able to live in other countries. Resources such as animals and food were incorporated into people's lifestyles. In Conclusion, the Columbian changed our world for the better and without it, our lives would look very different today.