Impact of the Columbian Exchange

IMPACT OF THE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE

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The raging view amongst historians is that the Columbian exchange represents an important epoch in the history of mankind . It had a significant impact not only on Europe and America , but its effects spread far and wide both cataclysmic and beneficial . Though there are immense studies in this contact between America and Europe , it is the works of Alfred Crosby that gained prominence upon his coinage of the term Columbian exchange to describe the complex and many faceted

br chains of ecological exchanges and impacts that began with Columbia (McIlwraith Muller , 2001 , 27 ) The discoveries made by one of the greatest explorers the world has ever witnessed , Christopher Columbus and the consequent exchanges led to the transformation of cultures transfer of crops between the various regions in the world and also the demise en masse due to the exchange of diseases

Cultural exchange remains one of the significant impacts of this era . A look at how culture was transformed to a greater extent encompasses looking at the impact of cuisine . Due to the exchange in crops , there occurred a new cuisine orientation especially in Europe . Most of the crops witnessed today as delicacies owe their origin to this era , examples being tomatoes , chocolate and potatoes . Indeed these food elements of native America 's material culture quickly became common property in Europe (Rietbergen , 1998 , 235

It is a common fallacy for many to assume that smoking has always been embedded into...