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African Americans During The Columbian Exchange

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The spread of Europeans into the Western Hemisphere was an advancement because of the exchange of culture, goods, and technology yet it was also a step backwards for human civilizations because of the loss of Native American and African lives and culture as well as an increase in the slave trade.
Many of the Europeans who came to the new world were missionaries looking to spread their religion to the new world. This resulted in the religious conversion of many Native Americans and the result was often a combination of Native American and European beliefs and traditions. Intermarriage between Native American and Europeans became more and more common especially in the Spanish colonies of South America. These societies often combined with each other unlike in the North where the societies stayed very separate.
Another exchange brought about by the Europeans exploration was that of new goods and technology. The Europeans …show more content…

The diseases brought by Europeans to the Americas lead to an estimated 90% decrease in native populations and those who were left were treated as inferior beings, and made to do hard labor for the Europeans. Although missionaries did create religious synthesis in some areas of the Americas many Native Americans were forced to give up their religious traditions and become Christians because of the Europeans. The new exploration also led to an intense increase in the slave trade. The establishment of the Atlantic slave trade by Europeans in order to provide labor in the new world was definitely a step backwards for human civilizations. Millions of slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas, and nearly 40% died before they even reached the New World. When the slaves arrived in America they were treated like animals, sold and made to do back breaking work in horrible working

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