U.S. History: Theory of the Columbian Exchange

Your Name
Student Id
Date
Institution Name
Lecturer Name
U.S. History: Theory of the Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was in reference to the exchange of ideas, food crops and communicable diseases by people of different regions between those who were staying the Western and Eastern hemispheres. This is one of the historical events which brought about significant development in culture, ecology and agriculture in human history. Columbian exchange did affect almost all the societies in the world as they were able to get what they did not have from other regions of the world. This mostly affected agriculture as it made possible for almost all food crop, cash crops and domesticated animals to be introduced all over the world in the regions which had favorable weather conditions for their survival (Qian and Nunn, p 164).
Columbian Exchange was followed by Christopher Columbus in 1492. This was experienced not only by Europe but also Entire Eastern Hemisphere which gained on several ways through Columbian Exchange. There were also introduction of metals, and the world gained access to different types of food crops which changed their staple food. The staple foods which were gained are Maize, Cassava, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pineapples, peanuts and Chili peppers among others.
Such diversification made sure that there were new food introduction and introduction of many other old World crops such as coffee, sugar which were suitable in different regions climatic conditions and soil. Although the exchange is believed to have brought in many gains it also brought in many losses as well which are mainly the diseases for previously isolated communities which did not have those communicable diseases. The European brought in United States diseases such as Measles, Cholera, Typhus and Smallpox which the Native Americans did not have immunity on them. While the Europeans sailors were infected with syphilis which they took to Europe although it is less deadly it has caused much social disruptions throughout the world. Due to the fact that the Natives had not been infected by the new diseases they were not having any immunity against the infections. Hence the infections reduced the United States greatly and it is estimated that in some places they lost almost 80% of the population. Before the European explorers come to their rescue and introduced medicines for the new ailments.
The effect of Columbian Exchange did not only affect European and American but also Asian a...