What are some negative effects of the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange generally worked to help Europe and to hurt the people of the Americas. The main bad effects of the Exchange were felt in the Americas.
There was, at least arguably, one really bad impact of the Exchange for Europe. This was the fact that tobacco came from the New World to Europe. Though people did not know it then, tobacco is very bad for them. Therefore, it would have been better for Europeans if tobacco had never made it out of the Americas.
However, that is a relatively minor thing. The really negative effect of the Exchange was felt in the Americas. This was the coming of infectious diseases to the Americas. The people of the Americas had never been exposed to the kinds of infectious diseases that existed in the Old World. These were diseases like smallpox and the measles. Because the natives of the Americas...
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had no resistance to these diseases, they died in huge numbers (some scholars believe up to 90% of them were killed) when the European germs arrived. This was, by far, the most important negative effect of the Columbian Exchange.
One of the biggest negative results of the Colombian exchange was the destruction and demise of many aspects of the indigenous cultures found in the Americas. Intent on claiming resources and materials that they found for their country, the "conquistadores," or conquering people, trampled and destroyed many aspects of indigenous culture, such as artwork, tribal languages, and religions, in the name of conquest. As the conquering people settled into their new territories, they brought with them their languages and values and imposed them upon the native people of the Americas. Because of this, many of the tribal languages fell out of use and became extinct. Today, only a fraction of native languages still remain. As well as languages, indigenous religions were absorbed into the presiding religions that were brought over. Both Catholic and Protestant religions acquired many new converts, who were forcibly converted under threat of death. The elimination of many tribal languages and religions weakened and destroyed important aspects of the native cultures and therefore was one of the most long-lasting and negative results of the Colombian exchange.
What were the negative effects of the Colombian Exchange on Africa?
The Colombian Exchange of the 15th and 16th centuries fostered the Atlantic slave trade. The effects of this on Africa were immense and brutal. The capture and forced deportation of young, healthy Africans between the ages of 18 and 40 took a toll on the continent's demographics. Back in Africa, the compulsory marches in which captured Africans took part were lengthy and lethal; many died before they even left for the New World.
Politically, the social structure was upended across the African continent, as long-standing relationships between ethnic and religious groups, soldiers and civilians, and neighboring communities shifted. Social rifts were created. Traditional African values were undermined. European intervention prevented African nations from organizing against them.
All this cultural chaos enabled the rise of vulturous regimes that still exist today and stifled economic and technological growth. Agricultural production was slow to stabilize, for example. Before a nation can industrialize, it needs agricultural security.
Ultimately, the slave trade sparked by the Columbian Exchange left Africa disorganized, defenseless, and underdeveloped. Everyone was simply too preoccupied with trying to stay free, fed, and alive.
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