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Positive And Negative Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

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In 1492, Christopher Columbus brought the Eastern and Western hemispheres back together and created the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange was the transfer of plants, animals, ideas, and disease between the Old and New world. Although some historians believe the Columbian Exchange was mostly positive due to the fact that it allowed European countries to flourish both politically and economically, however more evidence states the Columbian Exchange was mostly negative. The Columbian Exchange was mostly negative because of the introduction of the harmful tobacco plant, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and devastating diseases spread to both the Old and New world. One item that that arrived in the Old world that had a negative effect on Europe was the plant tobacco. Tobacco was brought to Europe after Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. Europeans used Tobacco as a pleaser in pipe and cigar form. According to John Green in the Crash Course on the Columbian Exchange, “In World War 1, more soldiers died because of tobacco use rather than actual battle, in war.” During this time period, Europeans didn’t know the harmful effects of tobacco. By …show more content…

The Atlantic Slave Trade was the transportation of enslaved africans to the New world to be owned and sold. According to the Columbian Exchange article, “By about 1550, African diseases like yellow fever and malaria had crossed the Atlantic and were killing Europeans and Indians.” Brining the African Slaves over to do hard labor and put innocent humans through horrific experiences was hard on the african slaves, but also harmed slave owners. The slave owners did not have immunities built up to protect themselves from these new diseases that were introduced, making them very susceptible to catching these killing sicknesses. The Atlantic Slave Trade was hard on both ends of the spectrum, making it brutal for lots of people but in different

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