Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange

Christopher Columbus's discovery of the new world was detrimental to the people and animals living there.  Christopher Columbus created many irreversible effects on not only the Natives or Indigenous Peoples, but also the plants and Animals. As much as historians portray him as a hero, a very different interpretation of his life is held. Many people now perceive him as a tyrant or as someone who oppressed and colonized indigenous peoples.

Cristoforo Colombo was born in the city of Genoa in the fall of 1451. Colombo's family had lived in this city for as far back as 3 generations. He and his family were involved in the making and trading of woolen fabrics, however little else is known about his early life.This is the extent of what researchers know about Columbus' early life, up until his twenties as a mariner sailing aboard commercial and war ships in the Mediterranean, when he began writing letters. Later, in May 1476, Columbus was on a convoy of ships and was attacked by a French and Portuguese war fleet. He made it to shore, and decided to settle in Lisbon where his younger brother Bartholomew had lived. Columbus was not schooled as a child because his family could not afford it, but when in Lisbon with his brother, he learned Astronomy and Mathematics. According to his son Ferdinand, he then sailed to Iceland. By 1478, he had become captain of a Merchant ship and sailed to Madeira where he met his wife and later had his first child Diego. In the early 1480s, he pitched his “great idea” to the Portuguese trading fortress of Sao Jorge da Mina, that it would be easier to get to Asia by sailing westward across the Atlantic Ocean. This idea commenced because of the population increase in Europe. The need for new land was now more than ever. The Portuguese trading fortress of Sao Jorge da Mina did not believe him, and determined his plan should not be carried out. Following the denial of his idea, his wife passed away, leaving him and his son to flee Portugal. Christopher Columbus was now on the quest for someone who would accept his proposal. He moves to Spain and conveys his plan to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After seven years of persuasion, he received the support from them, and got funded by Catholic Monarchs.

On August 2, 1492, Christopher Columbus left the coast of Spain and headed west. Columbus’ plan was to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, and make his way to the Wast Indies. He was on a quest to bring back spices, silk, and other Asian products that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had demanded in order to fund Columbus' voyage. He navigated the Atlantic Ocean with barely any other ships in sight. Other explorers and traders avoided venturing far into the Atlantic Ocean for fear of falling off the Earth, which was assumed to be flat. Living on those boats for months at a time was no easy undertaking. The ships were difficult to maneuver and quite heavy. For weeks and months, there was no land in sight, and the crew threatened  mutiny. After more than two months at sea, land was spotted at last. Columbus and his crew aboard felt they had arrived in India, thus they referred to the natives as Indians.

Almost immediately after Christopher Columbus arrived, he created  irreversible damage on the indigenious people. As a result, a war was permitted. This war is now known as the American Indian Wars. While foreign diseases did play a role in the defeat of American Indians further north, European dominance did not come as quickly. English settlers began making their way on the eastern coast by present day Virginia. This land was already ruled by Powhatan. He ruled over several tribes and commanded a population of around 14,000 people, from which he could draw over 3,000 warriors. He believed that the new Europeans could be killed off easily, but he was mistaken. The leader of the English, John Smith, had begun to train his military in order to fight if needed. Later on, the Anglo- Indian foes kidnap Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, and demand he pay a large sum of money to get her back. He refused, and instead Powhatan agreed to Pocahontas' marriage to an English colonist who was researching the export potential of tobacco in 1614. The Natives were suffering later through some bad harvests and were forced into buying English crops, and became more and more colonized by the English. In 1619, the colonizers formed a government called the House of Burgesses, and banned the supply of Muskets to the Indians. This stopped them from being able to attack or defend themselves during the battles. The English, naturally being heavily armed, gained the upper hand, and won most battles. The first documented cases of scalping followed soon after. Scalping was a method of terrorizing Native Americans by removing the entire skin from their heads or just the top of their head. In any case, this was a cruel and inhumane method of torturing and killing indigenous people. The Europeans made treaties with the Natives, but they were all broken not long after they were established.

Christopher Columbus did not only have an impact on the Indigneous people, but on the plants and animals as well. Bringing in new settlers resulted in a greater need for food for everyone who settled in the Americas, increasing demand for crops and animal hunting. Due to the obvious settlement construction everywhere, which would have previously been for crop production, new settlers from everywhere throughout Europe arriving to the New World made it increasingly challenging to find places to grow crops. This also increased crop demand, escalated  the quantity of agricultural production but not the quality of those developed, therefore having a negative effect on the individuals consuming the crops. Animal populations declined due to increased hunting. Animals had fewer places to live and take shelter as a result of the new settlements. Clearly, both Animals and Plants were highly affected due to the new settlers.

Assuredly, Christopher Columbus had some astounding accomplishments. He successfully set sail to the Americas, Started Columbian Exchange and many other great things,  we must keep in mind that, unfortunately in this case, there was both good and bad. He contributed to a genocide against the Indgenious people and had many negative affects on the New World. Christopher Columbus’ so-called discovery of the New World initiated centuries of exploration and colonization of the Americas.