The American Exchange - Shaping the Modern World essays

The American Exchange - Shaping the Modern World essays The voyages of historical European explorers in the early modern era between 1500 and 1800 resulted in short and long term consequences in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The diffusion of plants, food crops, human populations, disease pathogens, and animals changed the worlds biological fabrication for the first time since the continental drift. In 1492 Christopher Columbus stepped foot in the Americas with the desire to obtain basic resources, food, and land. The Europeans introduced the Americas to crops of wheat, barley, rice, and turnips, although these crops had little effect on the new world. When the Europeans introduced the Americas crops of white potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, and manioc to the old world; they experienced improved nutritional value diets, increase caloric intake, and population growth. The white potato and maize had the most dramatic effect on the old world; Southern Africa adopted maize as a staple and began to harvest it; helping to format trading posts there. The white potato began to thrive in Europe having the most significant effect on Ireland where it promoted a rapid population increase. Ireland became so dependent on the white potato that when a potato blight raved the crops, Ireland experienced widespread famine. Europe experienced the most benefit from the exchange of foods and crops during this time; old world crops such as sugar, coffee, soybeans, oranges, and bananas could be cultivated in new world climates which fueled the demand for these crops . This increased the available supply of food and significantly dropped the prices, allowing the general population access leading to the adoption of new foods in all parts of the world. Perhaps the most beneficial crop discovery in the new world was the cinchona trees that produced quinine. Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria between 1500 and 1800, as contact between the two worlds increased, malar...