This passage describes the early years of the Columbian Exchange. Based on the passage, how did inhabitants of the New World ini
tially perceive the arrival of merchants from the Old World? Just twenty years ago, the lands were filled with peoples from different nations, each with their own customs and tongues. Not a day went by without the assurance there would be plentiful land and an abundance of beasts in the forests for their peoples. Their villages and settlements were many, and their societies were rich and complex. Warriors, craftsmen, weavers, hunters, and dealers engaged in their everyday lives, bringing much good to their nations. But then the merchants from across the Great Sea started to come, and they brought with them a great many things never seen before on these shores. The inhabitants were glad at first to trade for these items they desired so greatly. But these brought only temporary benefits. For hidden in these goods was an invisible force, one that would affect every tribe in this great land. No person, regardless of stature, was spared. Children, mothers, and even chiefs were no match for this unseen warrior. In the span of only three generations, the majority of their villages disappeared, and the greatest lot of their peoples walked this land no more.
A. They feared the goods they traded for were not of equal value to the goods they exchanged.
B. They viewed them as a source of trade for goods they were unable to obtain on their own.
C. They viewed them as a temporary phenomenon that would not have any lasting impact.
D. They feared that their social structures were breaking down because of the influence of foreign customs.
