The term “Columbian Exchange” refers to the vast exchange of germs, plants, and animals that occurred, with particular focus on the exchange of goods from America to Europe, and from Europe to America. This exchange led to the beginning of colonialism, movements that invented social organizations and changed societies.
Exchanging crops proved to be a far more intricate, involved process than ever could have been imagined at the time. Remarkably, the people of the Americas realized that crops with higher caloric value could not only feed more people, but also allowed people to work harder because they were more energized. This led to an adoption of American crops by European peasantries that changed entire cuisines in various cultures and spread rapidly through the Americas, Europe and finally, Africa. An important crop in Europe was potatoes, as they could be left in the ground until they were ready to be eaten and allowed many Europeans to evade taxes, as tax collectors did not go so far as to dig up not yet harvested crops. Similarly, potatoes were also a helpful crop and food source because when armies invaded and rounded up food for themselves, they were similarly unable to steal the potatoes; thereby, leaving food for the European people.
Animals were also a key part of the Columbian Exchange. Horses, pigs, sheep, and cattle were all European animals that flourished rapidly in the Americas because they were able to reproduce without being hindered by predators. Pigs were also a key animal used during ocean travels because they could be dumped on the way to a country or place and then picked up and eaten on the way back. The horse, too, was also a very useful animal as it helped with battle; it allowed for faster travel, it allowed for the surprising of opponents, and allowed people to fight from a higher level.
Unlike the exchange of crops, gems and animals, the exchange of diseases proved very negative for the Americas. Due to previous isolations, the people of the Americas lacked immunities, which often led to widespread epidemics. In fact, it was a fascinating war tactic to attempt to deliberately spread disease in order to kill off large groups of opposing people. For the most part, diseases went one way: to the Americas.
Following this discussion about the Columbian Exchange in terms of Europe and the Americas, it must be noted that there was little mention of Africa. There appears to be an ethnocentric bias in literature written about the Columbian Exchange, as the authors are particularly silent about the role of Africans in the Columbian Exchange and the establishment of African plants in the Americas.
Rice was the most popular African crop that made its way to the Americas. During the slave trade in the Middle Passage, slaves were often fed inexpensive food – including pepper, yams, rice, millet, sesame, peanuts, tobacco, maize, bananas, coconuts – that the Africans would be familiar with in an attempt to increase mortality rates. Upon their arrival in the Americas, some slaves were encouraged to grow their own crops; crops that had originated in Africa now came to the Americas. In fact, African crops became so popular that slaves good at rice cultivation eventually became more highly paid. Though there a variety of African crops made it to the Americas, the establishment of rice in the Americas is an African legacy that represents both the African enslavement as well as their mastery of rice cultivation.
