GESCHICHTE 150 NOTES Friday September 20 2013 Early Modern Period 15th 18th Century The Columbia Exchange subject overlooked until 1970s Definition the exchange of diseases plants animals between the old world Europe and the New World the Americas initiated by Columbus Diseases measles typhus small pox deadliest disease of Europe The introduction of diseases from Europe was the most important factor in the drastic decline in indigenous population Mexico 1518 year before Cortes 25 million population 1519 year Cortes arrives 1578 2 million population Implications of population decline field like a peasant as all explorers wanted Herman Cortes conquered Aztecs in Mexico said I have to come to win gold not plow the Thus the indigenous population will be the ones to do the labor themselves to mine farm But when indigenous dies off labor shortage Solution to labor shortage ship slaves from Africa connection between labor shortage disease and the African slave trade 11 million Africans transported to New World Disease from the New World syphilis 1494 95 appeared in Italy 1499 all over Europe 1505 reached China Plants and Animals 1493 Columbus returned to Hispaniola with 17 ships 1200 men animals and seeds cuttings for plants bringing Europe with him to New World Spaniards arriving on horseback in front of Native Americans never seen such big strong fast animals that were obedient to humans some feared the horses thought they must eat human flesh Pigs flourished in new world Domesticated animals in New World pre 1492 Dogs Alpaca and llama Guinea pig eaten low in fat high protein tastes like rabbit eaten by Incans now in Ecuador food is culturally relevant Domesticated birds like turkey Impact of exchange on Indiana landscape brought soybeans soy Sugarcane Europeans encountered this in crusades brought back to Europe huge in New World Replaced honey as sweetener needed more slaves to produce 1690 1790 1 African died for every ton of sugar shipped back to Europe Who really pays the price for this exchange and European needs wants GESCHICHTE 150 Friday September 20 2013 Potato came from the Andes in South America and transported to Europe 1570 Becomes peasant food particularly Ireland Can grow in horrible soil 1845 on the eve of potato famine in Ireland an adult male peasant would consume 10 20 pounds a day 1 million Irish died in potato famine many emigrated as result of famine In the Encyclopedia 18th century this root is insipid and mealy It can t be classed among agreeable foodstuffs but it furnishes abundant and rather wholesome nutrition to men who are content to be nourished The potato is justly regarded as flatulent etc rich wouldn t eat