HIS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: The Columbian Exchange, Hectare, Smallpox
Document Summary
Note that columbus didn"t actually discover the new world because there were people already in the americas, however, due to him there was an exchange of goods. Christopher columbus, 1492: he created biological homogeneity, effects of disease on new world. Taino suffered from small pox, malaria, and whopping cough: thesis of lecture: population explosion. Introduction of new world foods like corn and potatoes caused a population explosion in the old world that would have been impossible without the discovery of columbus. Number of humans have quadrupled in 1650-1850, and again from 1850-1950. Old world people were brought over to the new world, so people of the new. World began decreasing: however, the old world was not being depopulated, typical reasons for population explosion/validity. A decrease in the number and severity of wars: this is false, wars have increased and have been destructive in the last 300 years. Advances in medical science and hygiene: this statement is true.