Question

Compare and contrast the demographic and environmental effects of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas with the Columbian Exchange’s demographic and environmental effects on ONE of the following regions between 1492 and 1750.
A) Africa
B) Asia
C) Europe

Answer 1

Similarities between America and Europe:

Both introduced new crops like corns, beans and potatoes. The interaction between Europe and America led to the spread diseases like malaria which spread from Europe to America leading to decline in population of America. Foreign animals were exchanged between America and Europe. America got horses and pigs while Europe got animals like alpacas and pack animals.

The differences between Europe and America:

In America, the spread of diseases led to a decline in population whereas In Europe because of valuable crops, the population increased. For America, the environment changed because of overgrazing by animals but for Europe, the environmental impact was minimal.