The Columbian Exchange affected the global economy several different ways. The Columbian Exchange established slavery, spread silver, and spread cash crops throughout the world. The triangular trade was also a major part that emerged from the Columbian Exchange and influenced slavery, the spread of silver, and the spread of cash crops.
During the Columbian Exchange, diseases spread around the world. As the Spaniards explored and exploited the New World, diseases spread to the New World and took out millions of Native Americans. According to "Global Expansion and Encounter" on the impact of new diseases, "Death of millions of Native Americans on some Caribbean islands, native populations were wiped out completely."1 The Spaniards relied on the Natives for resources so when the Native population decreased, the Spaniards searched for more people for work in the New World. They decided Africa would be the best option for workers. During this time, African tribes were in
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According to "The Origins of Global Trade," "Mexico and South America produced more than 80 percent of the world's silver."3 Silver production in the Americas boomed as more slaves were sent from Africa to the Americas to mine. The medal was in high demand and was sent all around the world. "Silver was sent from Mexico and Peru across the Atlantic to Spain and across the Pacific to Manila, and on to China." 4 Silver became especially popular in China, where they were changing their currency to silver. The Chinese' desperate need for silver made all Chinese items cheap if they were paid with silver. As a result, Europe took advantage of the desperate need for silver and became one of the main suppliers with the help of the triangular trade and slaves in the Americas. Therefore, the Columbian Exchange influenced the demand for silver around the
The flow of silver from 1500 to 1750 C.E. drastically improved the economies of Latin American nations, which in turned allowed for a global shift in currency and altered trade. Also during this time period there was also a greater desire for global expansion and imperialism, as seen when Europe expanded towards the Americas. Interconnected trade allowed for more contact between various nations, but it also supported the idea that certain nations were superior. While Latin America was the source of the economic prosperity that occurred in this time period, nations such as Europe benefited largely as well; since Spain and Portugal still had control over the areas where silver was being mined, they were able to take the rewards and distribute for their benefit. Documents 2 and 4 describe how silver has become the leading trade object in East Asia.
There were Spanish American countries involved, the Europeans and Chinese were active around the flow of silver. Major silver mines were located in Mexico, South America, and in Japan. (Doc,1). Trading of silver flow allowed many countries to experiencing having goods, especially the Portuguese. This was giving the global trading a good effect, allowing different and luxurious items come into their world.
From 1500 to 1750, silver production in the world was led by Spanish Colonial America and Tokugawa Japan. Silver trade was lead through a connection between four great continents, but there was no direct trade link between America and Asia. In that time, limits were placed on the amount of silver spent, prices increased and decreased depending on the supply of silver and silver production led to more importation and exportation of goods, as well as new ways to pay also developed due to silver production. In the 1570s, the Ming Chinese government stated that all taxes and trade fees should be paid in silver. Most silver flowed over the Pacific, out of Acapulco, to Manila, ending in China.
The Columbian Exchange was the exchange of goods animals and plants from one country to another. The Columbian Exchange had many impacts. Some of them can still be seen today. One example is introduction of new species. Another is the slave trade that happened.
The global interaction and exchange not only dealt with material goods and animals, but also disease. Natives in the Americas lacked immunity to various germs held by the Europeans, since they did not come in contact with other parts of the world. The death toll of many of the natives including the Inca Empire, Aztec, Mayan, the Arwak, and Taino on Hispaniola rose exponentially. The diseases that swept over the Americas also came from Africa, such as, yellow fever and malaria. Millions died while their cities and homes collapsed due to invasion, warfare, and
The influx of silver into Europe allowed European countries to become major players in the global trade system, establishing relations with other continents and trading partners. Europe, prior to the rise of silver, was in a trade deficit with east Asia resulting from their taste for Asian finery and Asia’s indifference towards European luxuries (Flynn and Arturo 1995, 203). America's supply of silver to Europe generated intrigue for Asia which created a path for New World Silver to travel from Europe to Asia and the flow of gold out of Asia to the West. This was assisted by the Manila galleons which transported tremendous amounts of treasures for America's benefit (Flynn and Arturo 1995, 215). America had a desire for Asian goods which was the source of the Asian-American trade deficit.
The silver trade in the 16th to 18th centuries brought economic and social transformations around the world. The changing flow of silver during this time changed every civilization globally; The Ming empire, the Spanish and Britain were effected both economically and socially. By the early 18th century, the effects of silver trade had both changed the operation of economics and social structure. Additional documents that could have explained and supported these changes; writings from the empire of Tokugawa Japan, the indigineous workers in the Potosi mines, business owners and their change in their payments and reliance on silver for profit, and the agriculturalists that saw the influence of silver on the trade of commodities all over the globe.
Economic Effects of the Columbian Exchange Inflation of cash-crops, slavery and silver resulting from the Columbian Exchange caused a drastic effect on the global economy. Cash-crops forged new trade routes across continents, slavery supported New World exports, and silver caused power shifts in the world 's distribution of wealth. As Spanish expeditions to the New World increased in size and purpose, the economic effects on the rest of the world spread with equal vigor. The triangular trade circulated commodities between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. From Europe some commodities were distributed throughout Asia.
The Columbian Exchange caused inflation in Europe. Silver
The massive amounts of gold and silver exported back to Europe greatly enriched the Spanish monarchy and upper class, but drastically hurt the poor and common people of Spain. What little wealth the lower class had was greatly inflated as silver and gold flooded into the markets. Throughout the century of Spanish conquest, 180 tons of gold and 16,000 tons of silver were sent to Spain from the New World (Hewitt & Lawson, 2014, 1.16). Much of the acquired wealth was used to finance the Spanish invasions of Italy and Portugal. Although the Columbian Exchange changed the Old and New World in positive ways, it also ignited wars on three continents, decimated millions by disease, and further increased demand for African slaves.
In terms of benefits the Columbian Exchange only positively affected the lives of the Europeans. They gained many things such as, crops, like maize and potatoes, land in the Americas, and slaves from Africa. On the other hand the negative impacts of the Columbian Exchange are the spread of disease, death, and slavery. In document 3b it states, “... an epidemic broke out, a sickness of pustules… very many people died of them, and many just starved to death; starvation reigned and no one took care of each other.”
Both of these contributed to a more global commerce since new crops could now be introduced to the Old World and silver was highly valued all over the world. The European settlers were aware of the aforementioned facts and took advantage of the rich lands that could be found in the Americas. They farmed extensively, and the Native American techniques for harvesting in difficult land helped them. Furthermore, knowing that South America had rich silver deposits, the mined for the valuable material to export it for profit. This remained mostly unchanged during this time since Europeans had no need to look for other sources of profit.
The Columbian Exchange impacted almost every civilization in the world bringing fatal diseases that depopulated many cultures. However a wide variety of new crops
The exchange offered great wealth to the New and Old Worlds and increased their quantities of resources. Also the spread of crop growing increased the demand for labor. This situation ensured the
It was just as important as the slaves were to the Middle Passage; it was everything. In short, the trading of silver impacted the world greatly- both socially and economically- in that it created and inflation in economies and allowed for a social web to begin to