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AP World - Unit 4 Review (1450-1750)

23 min read • july 11, 2024

Amanda DoAmaral

AP World Unit 4: Transoceanic Encounters (1450 - 1750 CE)

In AP World History: Modern, Unit 4 spans from 1450 CE to 1750 CE and accounts for 12-15% of the material on the exam.

### Contextualizing the Unit (1450 to 1750) ⛵

Before 1450, regional trade was all the rage as the silk roads, indian ocean network, and trans-saharan routes exploded with more merchants and goods flowing..

By 1450, Europeans were set on finding a faster route to Asia. Relying on overland trade was too slow and you couldn’t bring all that many goods with you on a camel’s back. Maritime trade would prove to be far more economically efficient. 

But as of yet, the fastest way to Asia was through the Mediterranean, which was monopolized by the Byzantines followed by the Ottomans. Was there a faster route going west? Maybe. 🤷🏽‍♀️

AP World Dates to Know from 1450 to 1750 (Unit 4)

STUDY TIP:  You will never be asked specifically to identify a date. However, knowing the order of events will help immensely with cause and effect. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.

1453 CE - Ottomans seized Constantinople

1492 CE - Columbus sailed to Americas... then committed genocide

1502 CE - First slaves to the Americas

1517 CE - Martin Luther/95 Theses

1521 CE - Cortez conquered the Aztecs

1526 CE : Mughal Empire begins

1533 CE - Pizarro conquered the Incas

1600 CE:  Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan begins

1602 CE : Dutch East India Company established (first joint-stock company)

1618 - 1648 CE - 30 Years War

1624 CE : Queen Nzinga becomes ruler of Ndongo

1689 CE - Glorious Revolution

1697 CE : Peter the Great travels to Europe to study technology

Unit 4 Essential Questions

STUDY TIP:  Use the following essential questions to guide your review of this entire unit. Keep in mind, these are not meant to be practice essay questions. Each question was written to help you summarize the key concept.

• How did new technology lead to changes in trade & travel?
• What were the motivations and consequences of exploration?
• What were the causes and impacts of the Columbian Exchange?
• How did Maritime (sea-based) Empires exert and expand their power?
• How was the development of Maritime Empires influenced by ethnic divisions and racist institutions?
• What were the challenges to state power and expansion?
• How did social hierarchies change in this time?

Past Essay Questions from Unit 4

STUDY TIP:  Content from the early-modern era has appeared on the essays eleven times. Take a look at a few of these questions before you review the key concepts & vocabulary below to get a sense of how you will be assessed. Then, come back to these later and practice writing as many as you can! 

** The AP World History exam was revised in 2017, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format or rubric. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. Use questions from 2002-2016 with caution.

2019 - DBQ: 16th Century Portuguese Transformation of Indian Ocean Trade

2018 - SAQ 4: Agricultural developments

2018 - LEQ 2: Columbian Exchange

2017 - SAQ 2: Intensification of human land use

2017 - LEQ 2: CCOT in labor migrations

2015 - LEQ: CCOT in labor systems 1450-1900

2014 - LEQ: CCOT participation in interregional trade

2012 - LEQ: Compare effects of the Columbian Exchange

2007 - LEQ: Compare processes of empire-building

2006 - DBQ: Global flow of silver

2005 - LEQ: CCOT Columbian Exchange

2003 - LEQ: CCOT Impact of Islam

👉  Watch AP World teacher Patrick Lasseter run through the silver DBQ from 2006 

Unit 4 Key Concepts & Course Outline

The following outline was adapted from the AP World History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found   here . This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.*

Major Trends Between 1450-1750

- new technology → more exploration → columbian exchange.

• Except for the Americas where disease decimated everyone 😵
• Migration of people → Spread of religion, new syncretic cultures
• New trading posts → New powerful cities
• Colonies established in the Americas
• Mercantilism & capitalism became predominant economic policies
• European middle class gained wealth → Industrialization possible
• More money in circulation → inflation
• Prosperity → funding for arts and architecture
• Other coerced systems created (encomienda, mit’a)
• Social class based on race & ethnicity, first time ever 👉  Understand the context of unit 4 as AP World teacher Allie Thiessen explains what was happening

4.1 Technological Innovations

 👉  Watch AP World Teacher Evan Liddle while he takes you through the new inventions to know 

Causes of Innovation

The demand for exploration led to new technological innovations. the population was increasing and this led to more demand for resources. however, there was a business opportunity in the search for resources. the state with the most access to trade could be the most powerful..

By 1450, more people were migrating in search of religious tolerance and economic opportunities. Growing dissent among oppressed and poor populations pushed European states to invest in exploration and trade.

New Technologies

| tech innovations in science  | tech innovations in navigation |.

| --- | --- | | Newton’s Laws of Gravitation, Astronomical Charts, Better mapmaking | Astrolabe, Lateen sail, Compass, New ships (caravel, carrack, fluyt) | | |

### Effects of Innovation

These new scientific discoveries and navigation undoubtedly opened up new trade networks across the atlantic and pacific, which also led to mass migrations of people (forced and voluntary)..

The movement of goods and people had regional consequences. For example, gunpowder developed by the Chinese changed the method of conquest and made its way through South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Gunpowder would have violent consequences in the decades to come.

Muslim merchants continued to travel on trade routes, as they had done in the past centuries. During this time, Muslim merchants established themselves further in North Africa and the Indian Ocean, which is why Islam is a dominant religion in those regions.

Finally, Europeans built massive military strength because of trade profits and access to new weapons. Before 1450, Europeans did not play a prominent role on the global stage, but after 1450, Europeans were the main puppeteers of the global economy.

4.2 Exploration: Causes and Events

⚡  Watch: AP World History - 🎥  Transoceanic Connections

Trade between Europe and Asia had to go through the Mediterranean, which was controlled by Italian city-states. The Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, and Dutch had to find another route in order to remain competitive, so they invested in exploration. #traderace

Motives for Exploration

Europeans were primarily motivated by money, religion, rivalry, and conquest. if they could fast a quicker route to asia, profits would balloon and religious ideologies would spread..

At this time, wealth was measured by how much gold or silver a country had on hand. So states began to practice mercantilist policies, which limited imports and maximized exports. This kept more money in the bank at any given time.

Achievements in Exploration

The portuguese led the way to sub-saharan africa and present-day china, india, indonesia, but their first to market advantage didn’t last long..

Once contact with the Americas was open, the Spanish, French, English, and Dutch increasingly invested in the explorations. 

Comparing Explorers

| | Explorer || Origin || Trips || Goal || Impact | |

| | Zheng He || China || - India

• Middle East
• Africa || Open trade networks and spread culture || China stopped exploring | | | | John Cabot || England || - North America || Get to Asia || Established English land in Canada | |

| | Vasco de Gama || Portugal || - West coast of Africa

• India || Get to India & China || Established power in Indian Ocean | | | | Christopher Columbus || Spain || - Caribbean islands
• Central America || Get to India & China || European colonization of the Americas | | | | Ferdinand Magellan || Spain || - South America
• Philippines || Get to Asia || Established Spanish links to Americas and Asia | | -----

4.3 Columbian Exchange

Before 1492, the Americas were isolated from Africa, Europe, and Asia. This is why the ancient civilizations are so fascinating because they all developed similar structures without knowing about each other. 

Columbus was an all around terrible human being that committed mass genocide, but he gets the namesake of this era because his voyage kicked off a new global trading system.

Flow of Trade

The connection of the old world (afro-eurasia) and the new world (the americas) unlocked a massive flow of goods, people, ideas, and disease. new crops and livestock changed eating habits and largely increased the global population. however, the americas suffered massive depopulation because of the spread of disease..

• AfroEurasia to Americas → 🐎 🐖 🍚 🌾 🍇
• Americas to AfroEurasia → 🌽 🥔 🍫 🍅 🥑 🍠

Atlantic Slave Trade

The atlantic slave trade began immediately after the portuguese arrived in africa, but seriously expanded after native american populations were decimated. cash crops were profitable, but required a lot of labor..

Indigenous communities were originally enslaved, but they were not a viable long term plan for free/cheap labor. Disease wiped out most of the population and many that were left were able to escape because of superior knowledge of the land. 

The Atlantic Slave Trade was expanded to supply labor throughout the colonies. Africans were kidnapped, often with the help of local rulers, and brought to the New World.

The most common destination for slaves was Brazil because sugar was so harsh to cultivate that the lifespan of slaves was extremely short (5-10% of slaves died every year). On the backs of millions of slaves, sugar eventually outpaced silver as the most profitable good at the time.

👉 🎥  Watch former AP World student Charly Castillo discuss what to know about the Columbian Exchange

Where Slaves Went

| | Colonies || Percentage | |

| | Portuguese (mostly Brazil) || 39% | |

| | British West Indies (Caribbean) || 18% | |

| | Spanish (Latin America) || 18% | |

| | French (North America) || 14% | |

| | British Mainland (US) || 6% | |

| | Dutch West Indies (Caribbean) || 2% | |

| | Other || 3% | |

### African Diaspora

The african diaspora changed the culture of the americas as slaves brought new ideas, foods, and languages..

With over 1500 different dialects, most slaves did not share a common language, which meant that native tongues were lost over time. New languages developed as a blend of different dialects, such as Creole.

Music was a key factor for survival in many slave communities. This music would later influence many genres including gospel, blues, jazz, rock n’ roll, hip hop, reggae, and samba.

The Columbian Exchange also had an enormous effect on the environment. As colonists expanded plantations, many regions suffered from deforestation, soil depletion, and a strain on water sources.

4.4 Maritime Empires Link Regions

 👉  Watch former AP World student Varoon Kodithala review the key facts about the Maritime Empires

Europeans in the World

As europeans explored and colonized africa and asia, they set up trading post cities to establish a base. these cities became centers of imperial administrations later on..

In West Africa, European merchants and missionaries reached inland to the Kongo and Benin. The Asante Empire and Kingdom of the Kongo participated in slave trade, which increased their wealth and power.

Japan initially welcomed Portuguese and Dutch traders and  missionaries , then pulled back by banning Christianity and contact with the outside. They remained isolated for most of the 17th and 18th centuries in an effort to protect traditional culture.

China was also set on isolating itself from foreign affairs. After Zheng He’s explorations, the Ming dynasty retreated into isolationist policies. Europeans would have to wait a few centuries for access to China.

The Mughals in India were open to trade with Europeans and the  British East India Company (EIC) was established. The EIC took advantage of tensions between Muslims and Hindus in order to expand influence. The British moved inland and by the 19th century, had direct colonial control over all of India.

The Americas

The spanish and portuguese divided up the lands of the americas before they even explored or conquered any of it. in 1494, they signed the treaty of tordesillas, which gave brazil to the portuguese and everywhere else to the spanish. languages are still divided on these lines..

The Spanish conquistadors brought down the thriving Aztec and Inca empires within a few decades. The  Aztecs fell first when Hernan Cortes and his troops brought disease to the region. Cortes also combined the forces of Aztec rivals to topple them faster. He then established the Spanish capital of Mexico City.

The  Incas fell quickly because of disease and betrayal. Francisco Pizarro and his troops captured the Inca leader Atahualpa and convinced the Inca to trade gold for his return. They complied, but Pizarro still had Atahualpa killed, effectively toppling the empire.

The Spanish also established a fort at St. Augustine in present-day Florida. In North America, the Spanish had control of the southwest regions, central America, and Florida.

North of the Spanish territory, the French and British were fueling their rivalry as they competed for land and control of resources. The French aligned with the Iroquois for protection and trading rights. The rivalry eventually popped off as the  Seven Years’ War exploded tensions around the world. The British drove the French out of Canada and India after that.

Changes in Labor Systems

Economic systems were disrupted as trade intensified. the portuguese controlled some areas on the indian ocean network as they strong armed locals, but merchants continued to trade and migrate..

In the Americas, the Spanish established the e ncomienda system to force Natives to harvest cash crops in exchange for food and shelter, similar to the feudal system. In this labor system, the Natives were tied to the land and were not free to leave. This same system was used on smaller farms, which was called the  hacienda   system .

Meanwhile, the silver trade was insanely profitable for the Spanish and the mines at  Potosi and Zacatecas needed as much labor as possible. Indigenous peoples were forced to work in the harsh mines using a modified  Mit’a system to nearly enslave the Natives.

Comparing Labor Systems

| | Type || Place || Work || Characteristics | |

| | Slave || Americas & Africa || Harvested cash crops, worked plantations, maintained homes || - Treated as property

• Few or no rights | | | | Serf || Europe & Asia || Worked the farms of Lords || - Tied to land
• No legal protections | | | | Indentured Servant || Global || Field work, maintained homes || - Transport paid in exchange for 7 years of unpaid labor | |

| | Free Peasant || Europe & Asia || Blacksmith, weaving, farming || - Worked own land

• Paid taxes to Lord
• Paid tithes to Church | | | | Nomad || Europe, Asia, & Africa || Herding, pastoralism, breeding || - Moved often
• Used land temporarily | | | | Guild Member || Europe || Skilled crafts || - Apprentice
• Eventually independent | |

The work of harvesting cash crops and mining silver was labor intensive. These new markets were profitable, but could only be sustained with a lot of cheap or free labor.

Africa was targeted for labor in the Americas because Indigenous populations were decimated by disease and were able to escape with knowledge of the land and the ability to blend in with other Natives.

Indentured servants provided cheap labor for a while, but plantation owners couldn’t scale their businesses when laborers would leave after seven years.

As the slave trade expanded, some African Kings participated and shared profits. Slaves were captured, transported to holding pens (“Points of No Return”), and then crammed on ships for the  Middle Passage journey across the Atlantic.

The demographic effects of the slave trade in Africa were unprecedented. Although the population of Africa ultimately increased because of increased food resources, in some regions the population declined as slaves were kidnapped. Families were separated and there was a gender imbalance because more men were taken than women. 

4.5 Maritime Empires Develop

Mercantilist policies of the time maximized exports and minimized imports so a state could have more silver and gold on hand. These policies forced colonies to only import goods from their colonizer

The changes in economic policy and increased trade led to innovations in finances, business, and banking.

Commercial Revolution

The worldwide transformation into a trade-based economy using gold and silver is known as the commercial revolution, which had four main causes:.

• Development of European colonies overseas
• Opening of new trade routes over the Atlantic and Pacific
• Population growth, which increased demand for goods
• Inflation caused by increased mining

-As a result of increased trade and mining, prices also increased across the board. This is also known as the  Price Revolution . As prices increased, more people went into debt, which was a recipe for revolution in the upcoming century.

Innovations in Finance

To keep up with the new global demand, joint-stock companies were formed. these minimized personal risk as investors pooled money into ventures. it was kind of like an early form of crowdfunding. rather than one investor risking everything if a ship was destroyed, many investors could split the risk thereby increasing the number of new businesses..

There were two main joint-stock companies.  The British East India Company and  the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Spain and Portugal had more government than private investing, which is why they didn’t rely on joint-stock companies.

The Dutch were high rollers in this time and played a main role in finance. They established a  stock exchange and developed an international currency to facilitate trade. These financial innovations created enormous wealth for the Dutch.

France and England were not as financially stable. Investors were rapidly buying shares based on speculated costs that increased as demand increased. When a large number of these investments failed to return profits, many investors went bankrupt which had rippling effects on the economy. 

Triangular Trade

In the atlantic, the consistent trade from europe to africa to the americas and back to europe was known as triangular trade. europeans brought manufactured goods like guns to africa, picked up slaves to bring to the americas, then filled up on cash crops to head back to europe., effects of the atlantic slave trade, the explosion of the slave trade seriously weakened african kingdoms that had been on the rise before this time. for example, the kongo was in decline. slowed population growth also weakened economic production..

Because of this, economic development in Africa was stalled for centuries and these regions were left vulnerable to the imperial conquest of Europeans. Without the slave trade, African kingdoms would have continued to strengthen and could have prevented centuries of turmoil in the region.

Some African rulers were complicit in the slave trade. They would kidnap slaves and trade them to Europeans in exchange for wealth and guns, which made local rivalries far more violent.

Most kidnapped slaves were men, which left a gender imbalance in favor of women, especially in Ghana and Benin. As a result, practices of polygamy were more common.

Ultimately, the exchange of new food staples increased the population of Africa, but in parts of West Africa, the population suffered as people were taken.

Effects on Native Americans

The most immediate effect on indigenous communities was the massive depopulation caused by disease. native americans did not have biological immunity to the common diseases brought by europeans like smallpox and typhoid. these diseases killed up to 90% of the population..

Spanish and Portuguese influence spread across politics, economics, and society in the Americas. Spanish  viceroys were appointed to rule each region in conjunction with  audiencias (royal courts).

Most of the native literature, art, and languages were completely destroyed, which left very few primary sources from before 1450. The decimation of lands and peoples made it difficult to preserve this history. The languages of Spanish and Portuguese became the dominant languages of the region. 

Finally, a new elite class emerged called the  creoles . These were people of Spanish or Portuguese descent that were born in the Americas. They were not quite as powerful as Peninsulares, people born on the Iberian peninsula, but had far more powers than any mixed person, Native American, or African slave.

Changes in Belief Systems

New syncretic religions emerged that blended native and colonial traditions. syncretisms happen everywhere, but in the americas there are quite a few examples..

• Santeria - West African faith + Roman Catholicism- Vodun - West African spiritualism brought to caribbean- Candomble - “dance to honor the gods”, Bantu + Brazil- Virgin of Guadalupe - Indigenous + Catholic

4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power

As states expanded power, they were consistently met with resistance and rebellion. This is a constant in world history. 

People will always find a way to challenge state power, especially when survival is at stake. An internal challenge to power comes from people within the state such as citizens, enslaved people, or colonies. An external challenge to the state usually comes from neighboring states or other colonizing forces in the region.

Here’s a few examples of how states were challenged between 1450-1750:

### Queen Nzinga vs. Portuguese colonizers

After the british and dutch pushed the portuguese out of india, they turned their attention to expanding their role in the african slave trade. in order to resist the portuguese, queen nzinga of ndongo (present-day angola) initially made an alliance with them in order to protect the imports of guns for her people..

Over time, the Portuguese became more exploitative to expand their powers. Queen Nzinga turned to the Dutch to help fend off the Portuguese. Together, they defeated the Portuguese in 1647, but the Dutch retreat from central Africa a year leaving the region vulnerable. 

Even into her 60s, Queen Nzinga personally led her troops into battle to protect their land. After her death, the Portuguese gained control of the region until well 1975.

Serfs vs. Russian Central Government

While the west african people were defending themselves from foreign attacks (external challenges), the russians were dealing with internal challenges. russian serfs had suffered oppression from the time of the mongols and by the 15th century, the hardship and population of serfs had increased..

Free peasants affected by heavy debts often lost their land and were forced into serfdom. Even as serfdom was abolished across Europe, Russian serfs were tied to the land through strict laws that had no opportunity for freedom. Escaped serfs began to organize as free peasants, especially in the steppes. They were called Cossacks.

The Cossacks under Yemelyan Pugachev rebelled against  Catherine the Great . Although they experienced early success in their revolt, the Russian government eventually suppressed the rebellion. After that, oppression of peasants and serfs increased in an effort to avoid future conflict.

Maratha (Hindu warriors) vs. Mughal Empire (Muslim)

South asia, which includes modern-day india, pakistan, and bangladesh, has a majority population of hindus and a strong minority of muslims. however, in the 17th century, the mughals were a muslim group that ruled the region..

In fear of minority rule, Hindu warriors called the Marathas rebelled. Between 1680-1707, the Maratha rebellion continued until they killed the Mughal leader Aurangzeb. His death effectively ended the Mughal Empire and the  Maratha Empire ruled until 1818. 

Pueblos vs. Spanish

In the americas, indigenous groups rebelled against european conquest. in present-day new mexico, the entire pueblo community rebelled against the spanish for 10 days in 1680..

The Pueblo Revolt was successful and the Spanish retreated from the region. However, they returned in 1692 to recapture the lands. Some Pueblos again resisted, but the Spanish quickly massacred the small group of warriors. After that, many Pueblos migrated away in search of freedom.

Slaves vs. Slave Owners

Jamaica had a growing slave population throughout this time period. in 1655, the british took control of the land forcing the spanish out. as spanish slave owners fled, many slaves escaped and formed settlements called maroons. revolts led by maroon communities had some success, but were ultimately squashed. there were groups of maroons in jamaica that were coerced into collaborating with spanish militias in opposition to british incursions to jamaica that eventually switched sides when spain was failing there and signed a treaty with britain..

The  Gloucester County Rebellion in 1663 was the first slave revolt in the British American colonies. African slaves forged an alliance with white indentured servants in a rebellion to demand freedoms. 

The revolt in Virginia failed and had serious consequences. In order to prevent white and black oppressed groups from conspiring, the Virginia government wielded racist policies to drive a wedge. They gave lower class white workers  some rights to appease them and prevent further chaos. Black slaves remained enslaved for 200 more years.

Indigenous Tribes vs. British Colonists (Metacom’s War)

Native american tribes in new england were some of the first indigenous communities to be displaced by british colonists. the last stand against colonization was led by metacom, also known as his colonial name king phillip..

By the 1670s, the colonists and Natives had largely co-existed. However in 1675, Metacom mounted one last effort to drive the British off the Native land. Many tribes participated, although some sided with the English. 

The colonists defeated the Natives after 14 months of bloody rebellion. Relative to the total population,  Metacom’s War is the deadliest in US history. 

Glorious Revolution: English Protestants vs. English Catholics

Back in england, things were getting complicated. england was a majority protestant country, but had a catholic minority. in 1685, the catholic king james ii ascended to the throne and began enacting anti-protestant policies..

William of Orange was backed by Protestants to overthrow him. Without any bloodshed, William and Mary II pressured James II into exile and took the throne. William and Mary accepted joint powers with parliament and signed the English Bill of Rights. This is what’s known as the  Glorious Revolution.

👉  Watch AP World teacher Evan Liddle breakdown what to know about resistance in the empires

4.7 Changing Social Hierarchies

The expansion of trade on a global scale expanded both the upper elite class and the lower labor class. Global trade was insanely profitable and new elite classes enjoyed this wealth. Meanwhile, the population of forced laborers increased, further expanding the wealth gap.

Gunpowder Empires

Quick reminder the gunpowder empires included the ottoman, mughal, and safavid..

Ottoman society was complex. The Sultans ruled the top of the pyramid and had powers to grant rewards to favored groups, such as soldiers. The middle class included the military, scholars, and other bureaucratic groups. Within the military, the  Janissaries gained power and tried to overthrow the Sultan.

For its time, the  Ottoman Empire practiced a surprising amount of religious tolerance for Jews and Christians. Although non-Muslims were forced to pay the  jizya tax, many Jews that had been expelled from Spain and Portugal migrated to the Ottoman Empire, which expanded its power.

Meanwhile, the Mughal Empire under  Akbar the Great was even more tolerant as they abolished the jizya tax and supported the expansion of  Sikhism (blend of Hinduism and Islam).

Women in the Ottoman Empire also experienced some expanded freedoms. Some women, such as Roxelana, climbed the social ladder from slave to wife of the Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Great. This was an extreme case of class mobility, but is an example of what was possible.

The Qing dynasty that overthrew the Yuan Mongols was ruled by the Manchus, a minority group. This was yet another historical example of a minority group ruling a majority group (see: Mughals, colonialism).

Although the adopted political traditions in China, the Qing were committed to making the Manchu culture dominant. For example, they forced all men to wear their hair in  queues (braided pigtail style), which was a power move to test loyalty to the throne. 

Ethnic divisions: The majority Han ethnicity faced the most intolerance from the Qing. Often times, Han men would side with the Qing and carry out mass murders of Han men refusing to wear the Manchu hairstyle. 

European society was ruled by a royal family that gained enormous wealth from trade and corruption. Below the royals was a second class of the nobility, a small wealthy group that owned most of the land.

Nobles had influence in  Parliament , but no power over the royals. The commoners were the lowest class and often challenged the nobility. After a failed revolt from commoners,  Louis XIV committed to keeping power from the common people or the nobles, “I am the state.”

Jewish Diaspora

In the 15th and 16th centuries, jewish communities faced increased anti-semitism in western europe. in spain, ferdinand and isabella expelled the entire jewish population, which sent them migrating all over the world..

Jews of Spanish descent that migrated to North Africa and the Middle East are referred to as Sephardic. Jewish populations descended from eastern and central Europe are called Ashkenazi. Both groups would experience a  diaspora by the 20th century.

The Enlightenment and  Scientific Revolution  led to more tolerance for Jews as people contemplated natural rights. The Netherlands was particularly tolerant for Europe at the time, so many Jews migrated there and worked in the booming financial industry. This connection would later be used to scapegoat Jews for economic downturns.

In Russia, the social classes were similar to the rest of Europe, except that they continued to practice serfdom. The Russian nobility, known as Boyars, were wealthy landowners. Below them were the merchants.

At the bottom was the largest class of peasants, many of whom sank into debt and were forced into serfdom. As serfs, they were completely tied to the land and sold when the land sold.

The Americas are mostly defined by ethnic division during the period of 1450-1750. The most dramatic social changes happened in the Americas because of the influx of Europeans, decimation of Indigenous, and explosion of the African slave trade. Social classes in the Americas were based on race, which is a pivotal difference from the rest of the world. Slavery was a major driver of maritime trade relations.

In the British North American colonies, Europeans, Natives, and African slaves remained separate classes that rarely mixed. Although mixed children existed, primarily because of forced assaults, the societal norm was segregation and policies supported this tradition.

In the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, things were different. In an effort to genocide Indigenous culture, Europeans were encouraged to procreate with the Indigenous and African communities. 

All of the ethnic combinations created new social classes organized by race with Europeans the top. The  Peninsulares , or Europeans born in Spain or Portugal, were at the top and served as representatives of the royal crown. The  Creole class was born in the Americas, but had the next highest privileges with their pure European descent. 

The mixed classes, or the  castas , had its own pyramid within a pyramid. 

• Mestizos = European + Indigenous
• Mulattoes = European + African
• Zambos = Indigenous + African (free)
• All other Indigenous communities
• African slaves 👉  Watch AP World teacher Donald D'Orto explain the changing social hierarchies

List of Concepts & Vocabulary from Unit 4

⚡  Watch: AP World History - 🎥  Q&A Study Session

STUDY TIP:  These are the concepts and vocabulary from period 4 that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!

• 95 Theses- Adam Smith- African Diaspora- Akbar- Anglican Church- Atahualpa- Atlantic trade system- Aurangzeb- Aztec Empire- Babur- cash crop- castas- coffeehouses- colonies- Columbian Exchange- Commercial Revolution- conquistadores- cottage industries- Council of Trent- Counter-Reformation- creole- devshirme- divine right- East India Company- encomienda- English Civil War- Enlightenment- fur trade- galleons- Glorious Revolution- Great Peace of Montreal- Gunpowder Empires- Hermit Kingdom- Inca Empire- indentured servitude- indulgences- Inquisition- John Locke- joint-stock companies- kabuki theater- maritime empires- mercantilism- mestizos- Middle Passage- Ming Dynasty- miniature paintings- mit’a system- mulattoes- northwest passage- Ottoman Empire- Peace of Augsburg- Peace of Utrecht- Peace of Westphalia- Peninsulares- Protestant Reformation- Puritans- Qing Dynasty- Safavids- Santeria- Scholasticism- sepoys- Sikhism- steppes- Suleiman I- Sunni Ali- Taj Mahal- Thirty Years’ War- Tokugawa Shogunate- transatlantic slave trade- Treaty of Tordesillas- triangular trade- Versailles- viceroys- Virgin of Guadalupe- Westernization- White Lotus Rebellion- zamindars- Zheng He

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• Period 1: 1491–1607

Period 1: 1491-1607

On a North American continent controlled by American Indians, contact among the peoples of Europe, the Americas, and West Africa created a new world. Topics may include

Native American Societies before European Contact

European exploration in the new world, the columbian exchange, labor, slavery, and caste in the spanish colonial system, cultural interactions between europeans, native americans, and africans.

Image Source : View of icons representing conquered towns and the tributes they paid to the Aztecs in a detail from the Codex Mendoza, ca. 1541 (Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford)

4–6% Exam Weighting

Resources by Period:

• Period 2: 1607–1754
• Period 3: 1754–1800
• Period 4: 1800–1848
• Period 5: 1844–1877
• Period 6: 1865–1898
• Period 7: 1890–1945
• Period 8: 1945–1980
• Period 9: 1980–Present

Key Concepts

1.1 : As native populations migrated and settled across the vast expanse of North America over time, they developed distinct and increasingly complex societies by adapting to and transforming their diverse environments.

1.2 : Contact among Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans resulted in the Columbian Exchange and significant social, cultural, and political changes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

American Indians

By elliott west.

Learn about the diversity of Indigenous tribes in North America.

Cahokia: A Pre-Columbian American City

By timothy r. pauketat.

Learn about a center of trade and interaction built along the banks of the Mississippi.

Nature, Culture, and Native Americans

By daniel wildcat.

Watch a discussion about Indigenous peoples and their interaction with the environment.

Secotan, an Algonquian village

Engraving of an agrarian town in North America, based on a watercolor by English mapmaker John White

• Primary Source

North America on the Eve of the European Invasion

By christopher l. miller.

Discover the way Native Americans lived in North America before Europeans arrived.

Native American Discoveries of Europe

By daniel k. richter.

Learn about the cultural context of Native peoples' responses to the arrival of European explorers and colonists.

America before Columbus

By charles c. mann.

Watch a discussion about the pre-Columbian population and settlement of the Americas.

An Introduction to the History of Migration and Settlement in North America

By edward a. jolie.

Learn about the migrations of indigenous peoples in the Americas.

Europeans and the New World

By brian delay.

Watch a discussion of the context of western European exploration and European interactions with Indigenous peoples.

Columbus reports on his first voyage

Columbus’s letter to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain announcing the discovery of unknown lands 

Imperial Rivalries

By peter c. mancall.

Understand how European political competition in the late fifteenth century drove exploration and colonization.

Sir Francis Drake's attack on St. Augustine

Illustration depicting an English naval attack on Spanish St. Augustine in present-day Florida

The Rise and Fall of New Netherland

By david middleton.

Read about Henry Hudson’s voyages for the Dutch Republic.

Mexicans in the Making of America

By neil foley.

Learn about Spanish exploration and conquest of the Americas in a broad essay about changes and continuities.

European Exploration

By felipe fernández-armesto and benjamin sacks.

Learn about European navigation and the exploration of the Americas.

Navigating the Age of Exploration

By ted widmer.

Learn about the vast global movements that characterized the Columbian Exchange.

by Alfred W. Crosby

Discover how the commingling of Old and New World plants, animals, and bacteria remade global ecologies.

The Spanish Borderlands and Columbian Exchange

By ned blackhawk.

Learn about Indigenous and European interactions in Spanish colonial holdings in the Americas.

The Americas to 1620

Learn about the broad context of European, African, and Indigenous interactions.

The Doctrine of Discovery

Pope Alexander VI’s decree granting Spain the exclusive right to lands in the Americas

Iberian Roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

By david wheat.

Understand the role of Portugal and Spain in the transatlantic slave trade.

Disputing the subjugation of the Indians

Bartolomé de las Casas versus Juan Ginés Sepúlveda on the enslavement of the Taíno in Hispaniola

Spain authorizes Coronado's conquest in the Southwest

Royal letter instructing Francisco Coronado to explore the northern lands in search of wealth and resources

Early North America

Look beyond the Euro-centric view of the “New World.”

Indian Slavery in the Americas

By alan gallay.

Learn about the European enslavement of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.

The New York African Burial Ground

By edna greene medford.

Read about one of the earliest graveyards for free and enslaved Africans.

The African Slave Trade

By philip morgan.

Watch a discussion of the core experiences of slavery from East Africa to sugar plantations in the New World.

American History Timeline: 1491-1607

Image citations.

Listed in order of appearance in the sections above

• White, John. The Towne of Pomeiock. 1585-1593. Drawing on paper. British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1906-0509-1-8
• William Iseminger, Cahokia Mounds, 1982, Painting. Image courtesy of Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. 
• White, John. The Manner of Their Fishing. 1585-1593. Watercolor over graphite on paper. British Museum.
• de Bry, Theodor. Village of Secotan. In A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia: of the Commodities and of the Nature and Manners of the Naturall Inhabitants. Frankfurt am Main: J. Wechelus, 1590. Engraving based on a drawing by John White. Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
• "Naw-Kaw, a Winnebago Chief." In The Indian Tribes of North America, vol. 1, by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall. Philadelphia, ca. 1840. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC05120.02.  Grasset de Saint-Saveur, Jacques. "Tableau des principaux peuples de l'Amérique." Paris, France. 1789. Etching and aquatint with hand coloring. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Theodore de Bry, Indians worship the column in honor of the French king, 1591, engraving for Collectiones peregrinationum in Indiam occidentalem, vol. 2: René de Laudonnière, Brevis narratio eorum quae in Florida Americae provincia Gallis acciderunt (Frankfurt am Main: J. Wechelus, 1591) (Rijksmuseum)
• Hiser, David. Pictograph at Newspaper Rock, Indian Creek State Park, San Juan County, Utah. DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, 1972. Photograph. National Archives.
• Anonymous Spanish artist. The Silver Mine at Potosí. ca. 1585. Watercolor on parchment. The Hispanic Society of America.
• Columbus, Christopher. Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, February 1493. Epistola Chirstofori Colom: cui [a]etas nostra multu[m] debet: de Insulis Indi[a]e supra Gangem nuper inuentis. Rome, 1493. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01427.
• Engagement [between] La Blanche and La Pare, ca. 1786-1805. Watercolor on paper. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01450.800.
• Boazio, Baptista. Drake’s Attack on St. Augustine, Florida, May 28–29, 1586. St. Augustine Map. 1589. Rare Books and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.
• Schenk, Peter. Nieu Amsterdam, een Stedeken in Noord Amerikaes Nieu Hollant. s.l., 1702. Print. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC03022
• "An illustrated account of Aztec life-cycles" Codex Mendoza. ca. 1540. Manuscript on paper. Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
• Martin, Johnson & Company. Landing of Columbus. New York, 1856. Engraving based on a painting by John Vanderlyn. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC08878.0001.
• Visscher, Nicholas. Novi Belgi Novaeque Angliae [Map of New Netherland and New England]. Amsterdam, 1682. Map. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC03582.
• Kemmelmeyer, Frederick. First Landing of Christopher Columbus. 1800/1805. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art.
• Montanus. Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, cum Terris adiacentibus [Map of the Americas]. s.l., 1671 Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC09789.
• Johnson, Fry & Company. Landing of Roger Williams.  New York, 1867. Engraving based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC08878.0006 
• Alexander VI. Copia de la bula del decreto y concession q[ue] hizo el papa [Inter caetera]. [Valladolio], 1493. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04093.
• Roiz, Pascoal. A portolan chart of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent continents. 1633. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008621738/.
• Las Casas, Bartolomé de. Aqui se contiene una disputa . . . Seville, 1552. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04220.
• García de Loaysa, Francisco. Letter to Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, June 21, 1540. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04883.
• Cliff Palace. Ancestral Puebloan (formerly Anasazi), 450–1300 C.E. Sandstone. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Sara Charles.
• "The March of the Spaniards into Tenochtitlan." Codex Azcatitlan. ca. 1530. Manuscript on paper. Bibliothèque nationale de France.
• Carol Highsmith. African Burial Ground National Monument. New York, 2008. Photograph.  Carol Highsmith Archive. Library of Congress.
• Wood, Samuel. Injured Humanity; Being a Representation of What the Unhappy Children of Africa Endure from Those Who Call Themselves Christians. New York, 1805. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC05113.

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AP® World History

The columbian exchange: ap® world history crash course review.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Can you imagine a world that has Italian pasta without tomato sauce to smother the noodles? How about having a hamburger without any fries? Or maybe an alternate reality where the Irish potato famine of the 19 th century never happened? Well, without the Columbian Exchange all of these scenarios could have played out in very real ways.

The Columbian Exchange is one of those AP® World History concepts that you simply must know for your upcoming AP® World History exam. It has helped to shape the world that we have come to know and love today, but it is also a perfect example of how historical events have shaped cultures, societies, environments, and even what we eat across the world. But not all of it has been great. Some have suffered and others have benefited from its affects.

We will cover these things and more in this AP® World History crash course on the Columbian Exchange and let you in on how it has shaped historical events from across the globe. Plus, at this end of this AP® World History Review, we will explain how the concept itself might pop up on the AP® World History exam you are planning on taking. So, let’s take this trip around the world with Christopher Columbus and discover how he and his resulting Columbian Exchange changed global history!

What is the Columbian Exchange?

You might think that the Columbian Exchange might have only to do with Christopher Columbus’ voyage across the Atlantic and the exchanges he made there. Well, that would only be sort of correct. This AP® World History concept is Columbus’ namesake, but it’s also so much more. Columbus’ expeditions have sent massive ripples throughout history that we are still feeling the effects of today.

So, before we get too bogged down in the details, let’s get this AP® World History crash course started by asking, what is the Columbian Exchange?

Simply put, the Columbian Exchange was the extensive movements of plants, animals, diseases, and peoples between the Old and New Worlds after Columbus made his famous voyage in 1492. But this is also one of those AP® World History concepts that pertain to more than just physical items like the potato. The exchanges that took place included ideas, cultures, and technology that were transmitted across the world at that time.

Columbian Exchanges

You may not have known this, but before Europe’s intrusion upon the Americas, Europeans had never eaten a tomato before. There was no such thing as pasta marinara. Travesty.

But seriously, there were massive amounts of foods and animals that were transferred between the Americas and the rest of the world at this time. Europeans brought over things like olives, onions, rice, turnips, and apples. While they took avocados, corn (maize), squash, pumpkins, and rubber.

On top of that, goose, pigs, horses, and chickens were taken to the Americas while llamas, turkeys, alpacas, and guinea pigs were taken back to Europe.

And this is just a tiny snippet of the kinds of things that were exchanged between the two parts of the world. Massive, and we mean massive, amounts of stuff was brought between these parts of the world that used to be isolated from each other in the 15 th and 16 th centuries.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Columbian Exchange

Now, all of this seems great, right? What’s wrong with a little bit of exchange now and again? I mean, without European apples there would be no phrase, “American as apple pie.” But therein lays the historical problem. And as an AP® World History review, we love historical problems.

Although there were definitely some great things that came about from the Columbian Exchange, it most definitely was not even-handed. The Europeans got the good deal, while indigenous Americans suffered.

One of the main reasons for this was the rampant spreading of disease. As we are sure you aware (but in case, you aren’t, that’s why we are reminding you in this AP® World History crash course review), one of the reasons that Europeans sought land elsewhere was that the continent was overcrowded and undernourished, which is prime territory of pathogens.

In other words, Europeans were dirty and diseased. Native Americans, on the other hand, were not packed together and considered hygiene an important part of social and cultural life. And disease like measles, smallpox, and yellow fever came along with European bodies and goods.

The native populations of the Americas had no natural immunities to any of these. All of this meant a decimation of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is believed that about 90% of the people in the Americas died from these diseases. Europeans, on the other hand, found easy to grow and nutrient rich foods like the potato to feed their starving populations. One side definitely benefited more than the other.

The Whys and Hows of the Columbian Exchange

We are all about questions in these AP® World History reviews, so why not ask: “what explains the events of the Columbian Exchange?” Or maybe, “Why does this matter?” And remember, these are the types of questions that AP® World History examiners want students to comprehend when they are studying AP® World History concepts like the Columbian Exchange.

So, what you need to remember is that European were not just exchanging out of the kindness of their hearts. They were colonizing. They were colonizing not only the land, but the people, the animals, the plants, and the environment. When European explorers like Columbus took plants and animals from their natural habitats, they were looking for ways to reproduce them back in the Old World to help to expand their populations and strengthen their nations.

They also wanted to control the land and its vegetation while in the Americas as well. This meant exploitation for profit. And what became one of the most profitable ways to plant? Slavery. The Columbian exchange resulted in the massive movement of African men and women in to the New World, but while enslaved. This also meant that cash crops like sugar cane and eventually cotton would overtake otherwise diverse vegetable life.

But they were also there to take over the land. And when it came time for the native peoples to attempt to defend the places that they had called home for all those years, their populations were so depleted from disease, that they simply could not keep up. This had led to a takeover of the Americas by the Europeans.

And finally, the Columbian Exchange resulted in the introduction of invasive species. This is a tricky term that’s fraught with meaning, but for the purposes of the AP® World History Exam and this AP® World History crash course in general, just remember that plants and animals were introduced in the New World that totally thrived and took over the indigenous flora and fauna.

The Columbian Exchange and the AP® World History Exam

Whew! You got all that? Good. Even if you don’t have it all down yet, that’s ok. But when it comes time to studying for your AP® World History Exam, reread this AP® World History review on the Columbian Exchange a few times, so you know you’ve got the important points. This is one of those AP® World History concepts that you simply must know.

Big picture is probably more important than little picture here. Sure you should know that pumpkins were from the Old World. But you really need to think about the cause and effect stuff. Remember the role of colonialism, remember the inequalities, and remember the exploitations. These are the central concepts of this AP® World History review.

Now, let’s take a look at a previous AP® World History exam question. In fact, here’s a perfect one from the year 2012 :

Compare 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. 

Africa 

After reading this AP® World History crash course on the Columbian Exchange, you should have this question down pat. I bet you can even do it with your eyes closed. Well, maybe not.

But again, as we have shown you in this AP® World History review, the Columbian Exchange resulted in a massively unequal relationship between the Old and New Worlds. Both demographically and environmentally, the affects have been widespread, including the destruction of populations, the spreading of diseases, and the increased nutrition of certain societies. Either way, we’ve given you what you’ll need in this AP® World History crash course to score that 5 on your exam, so good luck!

Let’s put everything into practice. Try this AP® World History practice question:

Looking for more AP® World History practice?

Check out our other articles on  AP® World History .

You can also find thousands of practice questions on Albert.io. Albert.io lets you customize your learning experience to target practice where you need the most help. We’ll give you challenging practice questions to help you achieve mastery of AP® World History.

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AP World History DBQ Example

Once you have answered our  AP World History Document-Based Question , scroll down to read a sample high-scoring response. Our AP World History DBQ example will guide you through the step to a perfect answer.

Evaluate the effects of the Columbian Exchange on the peoples and cultures of the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas) from the late 15th century to the 17th century.

Guided Response:

Introduction Thesis/Claim (A):  The Columbian Exchange, initiated by Christopher Columbus’s voyages in the late 15th century, fundamentally altered the lives and cultures of people in both the Old World and the New World. In the Americas, it led to significant cultural and demographic shifts due to the introduction of new crops and livestock, as well as devastating impacts from Old World diseases. Conversely, the Old World experienced a transformation in diet, agriculture, and economic structures, largely due to the influx of New World crops like maize, potatoes, and tobacco.  (1 point for a clear thesis that responds to the prompt) Contextualization (B):  Prior to the Columbian Exchange, the Old and New Worlds had evolved separately, leading to distinct agricultural practices, societal structures, and disease immunities. The exchange bridged these worlds, introducing a period of profound biological and cultural exchanges.  (1 point for providing broader historical context relevant to the prompt) Body Paragraph 1 Evidence from Documents (C):  The introduction of tobacco in the Ming Dynasty, as described in Document 1 by Charles C. Mann, showcases the rapid adoption and integration of New World crops into Old World societies. Similarly, the spread of maize in Ormuz, as noted in Document 5 by Afonso de Albuquerque, indicates the eagerness of different cultures to incorporate New World crops.  (1 point for using content from at least three documents) Analysis and Reasoning (D):  The point of view in Document 1 reflects the perspective of a Chinese physician, highlighting the medicinal value attributed to tobacco, a New World plant, in the Old World. This demonstrates the integration of American crops into Asian medicinal practices.  (1 point for explaining the document’s point of view) Body Paragraph 2 Evidence from Documents (C):  The observations of Hernán Cortés in Document 4 about the marketplaces and infrastructure of Tenochtitlan reveal the sophistication of the Aztec civilization before European contact. This contrasts with the devastation described by Bartolomé de las Casas in Document 6, which underscores the catastrophic impact of the Columbian Exchange on indigenous populations.  (1 additional point for using content from at least four documents to support an argument) Analysis and Reasoning (D):  Document 4 provides insight into Cortés’s perspective as a conqueror, marveling at the complexity of the Aztec civilization, which underscores the depth of cultural loss following the Columbian Exchange.  (1 additional point for explaining the document’s point of view) Body Paragraph 3 Evidence Beyond the Documents (C):  Beyond the documents, the introduction of Old World diseases like smallpox had a devastating effect on Native American populations, who lacked immunity to these diseases. This led to a drastic decline in their population and a weakening of their societies.  (1 point for using additional historical evidence) Conclusion Complex Understanding (D):  The Columbian Exchange was not merely a transfer of goods but a profound reshaping of cultures and societies. It brought about not only the exchange of crops and diseases but also a reconfiguration of global power dynamics, with long-lasting effects on both the Old and New Worlds.  (1 point for demonstrating a complex understanding of the historical development)

When you finish your AP World History DBQ practice, use the buttons below to move on to our long essay practice questions and example answers or return to the main menu.

Topic 4.3 The Columbian Exchange

The new connections between the Eastern and Western hemispheres resulted in the Columbian Exchange.

• ↑ The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492 , (1972), Alfred W. Crosby.
• ↑ Disease and Medicine in World History , (2003), Sheldon J. Watts, p. 27.
• ↑ Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest, 1492-1650 , (1998), Nobel David Cook, pp. 101-102.
• ↑ The Last Days of the Incas , (2007), Kim MacQuarrie, pp. 47-8.
• ↑ The Potato's Contribution to Population and Urbanization: Evidence from a Historical Experiment. "Quarterly Journal of Economics," 126 (2), Nunn, Nathan; Qian, Nancy (2011), pp.593–650.
• ↑ The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism , (2010), Joyce Appleby, p. 131.
• ↑ The Complete Book of Spirits : A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment. (2004), Anthony Dias Blue, p. 70.
• ↑ The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History Volume 1: To 1550 Brief. (2010, 5th ed.), Pamela Kyle Crossley, Daniel R. Headrick, Steven W. Hirsch, Lyman L. Johnson, p. 375.
• ↑ The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History Volume 1: To 1550 Brief. (2010), Crossley, et al., p. 376.
• ↑ The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food and Ideas, "Journal of Economic Perspectives," 24 (2), Nunn, Nathan; Qian, Nancy (2010), 163-188, p. 167. http://www.econ.yale.edu/~nq3/NANCYS_Yale_Website/resources/papers/NunnQianJEP.pdf
• ↑ The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. (2003), Alfred W. Crosby, p. 177.

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Columbian Exchange

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The Columbian Exchange is a term coined by Alfred Crosby Jr. in 1972 that is traditionally defined as the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World of Europe and Africa and the New World of the Americas. The exchange began in the aftermath of Christopher Columbus ' voyages in 1492, later accelerating with the European colonization of the Americas .

Columbus ' Arrival

The Americas had been isolated and cut off from Asia at the end of the last Ice Age approximately 12,000 years ago. Apart from occasional contact with Vikings in eastern Canada 500 years prior to Columbus and Polynesian voyages to the Pacific Ocean coastline of South America around 1200, there was no regular or substantial contact between the world's peoples. By the 1400s, due to rising tension in the Middle East, Europeans began the search for new trade routes led by Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394-1460), who sailed southward along the west coast of Africa, establishing trading posts. The Portuguese goal was to sail around the southern tip of Africa into the Indian Ocean to directly access the markets of India , China , and Japan .

An Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus (l. 1451-1506), sailing under the flag of Spain on behalf of Ferdinand II of Aragon and his wife Isabella of Castile, proceeded westward across the Atlantic Ocean in search of direct routes with the same markets in Asia. Columbus and his ships departed Spain on 3 August 1492, making a brief stop in the Canary Islands for provisions and ship repairs, before commencing the 5-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. On 12 October, Columbus and his crew made landfall in what is now the Bahamas on an island that the native people called Guanahani, which Columbus renamed San Salvador. Following Columbus' first journey, the Spanish, and later other Europeans, began settlements in which they attempted to recreate their Old World lifestyles and cultures in the Americas.

On Columbus' second voyage (1493-1496) domesticated animals – horses, cattle, pigs, chickens – were introduced to the New World for purposes of food and transportation. The subsequent establishment of sugar, rice, and later tobacco and cotton plantations formed a new basis for wealth and trade. The accidental exchange of diseases, especially those carried by the Europeans, spread to the indigenous peoples resulting in the catastrophic deaths of upwards of 90% of all native peoples.

In terms of plants, Europe had experienced its own exchange phenomenon 5,500 years earlier. The origins of world agriculture can be traced back to over 12,000 years ago, and farming was firmly established in Europe by 4,000 BCE. The crops brought to the Americas by the Europeans in the late 1400s and early 1500s served to satisfy European demands to recreate their traditional diets but would also disrupt New World agricultural systems.

The Spanish initially introduced wheat, olives, and grapevines in order to produce bread, olives, and wine, staples of the Spanish diet and intimately tied to their Catholic rituals. In time, additional cereals and sugar would cross the Atlantic, allowing Europeans to create large agricultural plantations first in the Caribbean and later spreading to Mexico and throughout the rest of the Americas. When the European-based indentured servitude system drawn from the poor, debtors, and criminals failed to provide enough labor, Europeans also enslaved indigenous peoples to work the plantations. This approach failed, too, as the native peoples were not used to the physical demands of large-scale agriculture , ran away from the farms, and were dying in high numbers due to disease exposure. The Europeans then turned their attention towards Africa, resulting in the nearly 400-year phenomenon of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Africa supplied not only people for work but contributed to the exchange of plants by introducing rice, bananas, plantains, lemons, and black-eyed peas, creating additional sources of food and wealth for colonists and agricultural enterprises.

The Americas also provided Europe, Asia, and Africa with a rich variety of new foodstuffs. Maize, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, peanuts, tobacco, and cacao ( chocolate ) were among the plants that journeyed eastward across the Atlantic. By the 1530s, tobacco, smoked and inhaled (in the form of snuff) by Native Americans, became a very valuable cash crop, especially in the British Middle Atlantic colonies. Cacao was used by the Olmec , the Maya civilization , and cultivated in Aztec agriculture. The cacao bean was ground into a powder and infused into water creating a very bitter drink, which was disliked by Europeans. Hernan Cortés (1485-1547) brought cacao back to Spain in 1528. The Spanish added sugar and honey to alleviate the bitterness, and in the next hundred years , as it spread throughout Europe, vanilla was added to the mixture producing a new luxury item: chocolate.

The potato had the greatest impact on Europe affecting both their diet and lifespan. Potato consists of essential vitamins and nutrients, and it can grow in a wide range of soils capable. Producing high yields, the introduction of potato ended centuries-old cycles of malnourishment and famine, leading to higher population growth in Europe.

The discovery and use of quinine by Europeans assisted them in their future colonial adventures in Africa. Native to the Andes mountains region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia, the cinchona tree's bark contains an alkaloid that provides effective medicinal treatment against malaria-carrying mosquitos. The discovery by Dr. Thomas Thomson in 1841 and the use of quinine by Europeans helped to cut in half the rate of deaths among European colonizers in the Africa and Pacific Ocean areas of colonization .

Cayenne, bell, tabasco, and jalapeño peppers derive from the capsicum pepper found in Bolivia and Brazil. Arriving in Europe after 1493, capsicum spread throughout South and East Asia and was adopted into the traditional cuisines of many European and Asian countries including Hungary (paprika) and Korea (kimchi). Medicinal uses of peppers have proved to be as valuable as their culinary adaptations. Capsicum offers the necessary requirements of vitamins A, B, and C; aids digestion by increasing the amounts of saliva and gastric acids; and is now used for pain relief for cases of arthritis, toothaches, and certain repository illnesses.

Tobacco, initially thought to possess medicinal value, was used in the American colonies as a currency for a short while. Tobacco's various smoking products increased significantly during and after World War I but has been shown to be one of the leading causes of death around the world according to the World Health Organization. Thought to increase creativity and reduce hunger, coca is the central ingredient in producing cocaine. Native to the Andes, coca was chewed as part of a ritual in the Inca religion and was adopted as such by Spanish settlers in the New World. Its most famous adaptation was in the creation of Coca-Cola developed in the 1880s by an Atlanta pharmacist as a substitution for alcohol during Prohibition in the United States. Like the soft drink, cocaine has spread around the globe and is one of the most used illegally traded drugs.

The Columbian Exchange facilitated the transfer of all of the major domesticated animals from the Old World to the Americas: cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs. The few domesticated species in Pre-Columbian America included the dog and the alpaca. The alpaca was limited in its use as it could not be ridden for transportation and could not carry loads greater than c. 35 kg (75 pounds). However, its fur could be used for making cloth. The largest animal present in the Americas was the bison, but it resisted domestication.

The Spanish allowed imported domesticated herds to roam freely over the plentiful supply of lands upon which the animals thrived. Additionally, the Americas contained no natural predators to the new animals. However, these newly introduced animals upset the ecological balance as they ate and destroyed much of the native plants. Three domesticated European animals had an immediate effect: cattle, horses, and pigs. By 1565 cattle ranching spread from the Caribbean to Mexico and Florida. Along with cattle, the Spanish brought the metal plow. This instrument, hitched to cattle, permitted the Europeans to expand the size of their agricultural enterprises. More planted land produced more food and consequently increased the population size and extended life expectancy. Furthermore, cattle provided a stable source of protein in the form of meat and dairy products.

The horse allowed Europeans to travel greater distances into the interior of the continents. The horse also provided greater speed and height advantages in conflicts with the indigenous peoples and frightened the natives with their appearance. Unable to contain the proliferation of reproduction, the horse spread quickly across the Americas. In time the native peoples would adopt and adapt the horse for travel and warfare .

On his second voyage to the Americas in 1493, Columbus brought pigs. Unusually rugged in surviving the ocean voyage, the pig provided the Spanish with an additional source of food. Pigs that escaped into the wild became the ancestors of today's feral pig population and provided an opportunity for hunting by later explorers and colonists. During Hernando de Soto's expedition to La Florida (1539-1542) , the pig was introduced to North America.

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The most devastating component of the Columbian exchange was the transfer of Old World diseases to the Americas. Among the lethal germs were smallpox, measles, mumps, whooping cough, chickenpox, typhus, and influenza. The later Transatlantic Slave Trade introduced hepatitis B, malaria, and yellow fever to this deadly disease cocktail. Native populations were decimated by disease outbreaks which allowed the Spanish, and later Europeans, to conquer the indigenous populations more easily.

Most infectious diseases in history have been passed from herds of domesticated animals into the human population in a process known as zoonosis. Beginning after 8,000 BCE, these lethal germs entered Europe, first as occasional outbreaks and then becoming endemics, especially as population density increased. As Europeans lived with domesticated animals, including animals residing in houses, for thousands of years, the prolonged and repeated exposure to those germs allowed the Europeans to develop natural immunities. This, however, did not apply to the indigenous populations in the Americas. Having been cut off from exposure to diseases after the last Ice Age, the native peoples lost any acquired immunities. Additionally, the indigenous population of the Americas had fewer domesticated animals from which diseases might emerge and transfer.

The first disease that made its appearance in the New World was influenza in 1506 followed by smallpox in 1519. Indigenous peoples would begin to sicken and die in extremely high numbers so much so that by 1650 it has been estimated that 90% of the native populations perished. Disease was the most effective ally of the Spanish conquistadors either preceding or accompanying them in their conquests across the Caribbean and the Americas. Hernan Cortés, in August 1519, successfully conquered the largest city in the Americas, Tenochtitlan , after a 75-day siege in which a few hundred conquistadors defeated a native army numbering in the thousands. Disease, warfare, and starvation weakened the abilities of the Aztecs to resist. Cortés' conquest of the Aztecs ultimately left only about 2 million people of the roughly 11-25 million who existed when the Spanish first arrived in Mexico. Disease also accompanied Francisco Pizzaro when he conquered the Inca in Peru in the early 1530s.

The disease exchange occurred in both directions. Syphilis crossed the Atlantic Ocean back to Europe by some of Columbus' sailors who had engaged in sexual relations with native women in the Caribbean. A few of those sailors joined the army of Charles VIII of France (r. 1483-1498) when he invaded Italy in 1494-95. The first recorded case of syphilis was reported in Naples in 1495. Recently historians have offered an alternative theory about the introduction of syphilis into Europe. It has been suggested that the disease already existed in Europe prior to the 15th century but was misdiagnosed and thought to be other diseases such as leprosy because the symptoms –pain, rashes, genital ulcers – were similar. Left untreated, syphilis causes death amongst its sufferers.

Consequences

Often referred to as one of the most pivotal events in world history, the Columbian exchange altered life on 3 separate continents. The new plants and animals brought to the Americas and the new plants brought back to Europe transformed farming and human diets. From the 16th century onward, farmers enjoyed a wider variety of plants and animals to choose from to earn a living and expand their prospects for wealth. The new crops on all 3 continents allowed farmers to plant in soils that were previously unusable thus producing higher yields and ending an ongoing history of food insecurity.

To meet the growing labor demands, especially on the expanding cash crop plantations, the Europeans turned to Africa. The Transatlantic Slave Trade represented the largest forced migration of people in human history with the transfer of 12-20 million Africans to the Americas between the 16th to 19th centuries. The result of the various exchanges became known as the triangular trade in which the Americas supplied the Old World with raw materials, Europe transformed those raw materials into finished goods which were traded to Africa and the Americas, while Africa supplied slaves to fulfill labor needs in the New World.

The transfer of domesticated animals to the New World would, along with the transfer of plants, alter human diets, provide new forms of transportation and inaugurate a new form of warfare between peoples for centuries to come. By the 1560s, the islands in the Caribbean were largely depopulated due to lethal, infectious diseases. Not only did whole civilizations collapse due to sickness, another 20% of native peoples died from famine resulting from the collapse of the local farming sector.

Scholarship on the Columbian exchange has expanded to include additional items transferred across the ocean in the centuries after Columbus. Nunn and Qian describe how rubber, found in trees and vines in Central and South America as well as West-Central Africa, was initially used by Africans primarily as an adhesive and Native Americans for boots, tents, and containers. After 1770, the use of rubber increased significantly with the discovery of vulcanization, which created a more stable compound that could be used as electrical insulation along with increased production of tires for bicycles, automobiles, and motorcycles. Rubber production exacted a terrible toll on Central Africa during the period of European colonization.

Other aspects of the Columbian exchange include economic, religious, and cultural transformations. The tremendous amounts of silver which flowed from the mines in South America back to Spain altered the European economy . The new wealth led to better lives for many Europeans and an increased population. The increased circulation of silver permitted the Catholic Church to underwrite a response to the challenges posed by the Protestant Reformation as well as spread Catholicism amongst the natives in the Americas. More detailed maps of lands and oceans, greater circulation of news flowing from the New World assisted by the new printing press, more effective navigational devices such as the compass, and astronomical discoveries helped launch a golden age in literature and art. The Columbian exchange, which started out as the introduction of new plants, animals, and diseases into different cultures, ultimately took on greater significance in the profound cultural, colonial, economic, nationalist, and labor consequences.

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Bibliography

• Alfred W. Crosby, Jr. "“Virgin Soil Epidemics as a Factor in the Aboriginal Depopulation in America”." he William and Mary Quarterly , 33, no. 2 (1976), pp. 289–99.
• Bianchine PJ, Russo TA. "The Role of Epidemic Infectious Diseases in the Discovery of America." Allergy Proc. , 13(5) 1992 Sep-Oct, pp. 225-32.
• Crosby Jr., Alfred W. The Columbian Exchange. Praeger, 2003.
• How Disease and Conquest Carved a New Planetary Landscape , accessed 22 Apr 2022.
• How the Columbian Exchange Brought Globalization—And Disease , accessed 22 Apr 2022.
• J. R. Mcneill. "Europe's Place in the Global History of Biological Exchange." Landscape Research , Volume 28, 2003 - Issue 1, pp. 33-39.
• Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian. "The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas." Journal of Economic Perspectives , Volume 24, Number 2—Spring 2010, pp. 163–188.
• Rebecca Earle. "The Columbian Exchange." The Oxford Handbook of Food History , edited by Jeffrey M. Pilcher, ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012, 341-57.
• Sherry Johnson. ""Dreams of Empire: The Legacies of Contact." ." Myths and Dreams: Exploring the Cultural Legacies of Florida and the Caribbean , edited by Phyllis Shapiro. Jay I. Kislak Foundation, Inc., 2000, 21-34.
• What We Eat: The Story of Livestock in America - #104 , accessed 22 Apr 2022.

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AP World History: Modern — Period 2 Notes (1450-1750)

Key takeaways — ap world history period 2 (1450-1750).

• The Americas became part of the global trade network, spurred by the Columbian Exchange. New diseases, crops, people, and cultures were distributed throughout the world. 
• Technological improvements in shipbuilding and gunpowder weapons allowed European empires to form and exercise a more prominent role in world affairs, eventually leading to colonialism. 
• Indigenous populations in the Americas died by the millions due to their exposure to previously unknown European diseases. This led to the forced migration of African people to work the sugar plantations in the New World, changing social structures and creating the Triangular Trade route. 
• New social structures emerged in the Americas based on racial hierarchies, such as those of the peninsulares, Creoles, mestizos, and mulattos of the Spanish colonies. 
• Land-based empires in Asia grew to their greatest extent in the Qing Empire of China, the Mughal Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, maritime powers like the Portuguese and the Dutch spread throughout the world following the voyages of Magellan, de Gama, and Columbus. 
• Social changes occurred in Europe as the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution challenged the power of the Catholic Church and weakened traditional bases of authority, while also creating the conditions for rapid growth in European economies and populations in later centuries.

AP World History Practice Question

Ap world history key terms: period 2 (1450-1750).

Remember that the AP World History exam tests you on the depth of your knowledge, not just your ability to recall facts. While we have provided brief definitions here, you will need to know these terms in even more depth for the AP exam, including how terms connect to broader historical themes and understandings.

World History: The Age of Exploration

• Christopher Columbus: Italian navigator who attempted to find a westward route to Asia under the sponsorship of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain; first European to discover the New World.

World History: The Development of the Global Economy

• Conquest of Constantinople: In 1453, the Ottomans conquered the Byzantine capital and ended the Eastern Roman Empire, giving rise to the Ottoman Empire, which lasted until WWI. 
• Caravel: Inspired by the Arab dhow, a compact ship of Portuguese origin that featured triangular sails and a sternpost rudder making it capable of crossing oceans; used during the Age of Exploration.
• Lateen sail: Triangular sail that allowed ships to sail against the wind, increasing maneuverability and making early oceanic sailing possible. 
• Carrack: Large sailing vessel with multiple masts with a large cargo capacity; stable in rough seas, which enabled voyages of several months through difficult waters; originally developed in Europe by the Portuguese in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
• Fluyt: Dutch-built cargo ship with comparatively light construction, usually unarmed; allowed for quick construction and smaller crew requirements, which facilitated the growth of Dutch maritime trade. 
• Joint-stock companies: Large, investor-backed companies that sponsored European exploration and colonization in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; precursors to modern corporations; a famous example is the British East India Company.

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World History: Columbian Exchange

• Columbian exchange: Beginning with the explorations of Christopher Columbus, the interchange of plants, animals, pathogens, and people between the Old World and the New World.  
• Mercantilism: Economic system focused on maintaining a positive balance of exports to imports that encouraged domestic employment; measured the economic strength of a state relative to its neighboring states. 
• Sugar cultivation: Specialized resource extraction process that relied on African slave labor after indigenous populations were decimated by disease; foreshadowed the intensive manufacturing of the Industrial Revolution.

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to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today! to the workspace. Already have an account? !   last edited by PBworks 17 years, 7 months ago         refers to the exchange of goods between the old and new worlds after Columbus' travels. While his "discovery" of America is up for debate, he is credited with opening up the Atlantic trade routes that would impact nearly every part of the world. This massive exchange of foods, ideas, and diseases resulted in both positive and negative effects. For example, Europe and China experienced major population increases due to the new world crops that quickly became staple items for these old world areas. However, native populations in the new world were nearly wiped out due to their lack of immunity to old world diseases.   Europe to Americas Americas to Europe Diseases smallpox, measles, influenza, diphtheria, whooping cough syphilis (a.k.a. "the pox") Animals horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens (great pasture land) dog, turkey Crops Wheat, vines, citrus, bananas, coffee, other fruits maize, potatoes (white and sweet), beans, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, manioc, papayas, guavas, avocados, pineapples, cacao, tobacco Other religion silver and gold (bullion) People Military, businessmen, poor immigrants, slave labor Columbian Exchange Insert links to other pages or uploaded files. Loading... To turn text into a link, highlight the text, then click on a page or file from the list above. Comments ( 0 ) You don't have permission to comment on this page. PBworks / Help Terms of use / Privacy policy / GDPR About this workspace Contact the owner / RSS feed / This workspace is public Join this workspace Already have an account? Log in ! Recent Activity The Columbian Exchange Explained Apush topic 1.4: the columbian exchange. The Columbian Exchange is one of the most featured topics in the AP® space, with relevance to all the AP® history courses (United States, European, and World History), as well as AP® Human Geography. Although each course examines the Columbian Exchange from a different angle, the major features of this expansion of global trade have the same relevance to all subjects, so although this Columbian Exchange Study Guide from Marco Learning is targeted toward AP® U.S. History students, it could prove useful beyond that course. WHY WE HAVE FRENCH FRIES The Columbian Exchange was a massive exchange of crops, animals, people, diseases, goods, and ideas between the Old World (Africa, Asia, and Europe) and the New World (the Americas), which greatly altered people’s lives on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The explosion of global trade then occurred as a result transformed goods that had either been unknown (or known as rare luxuries) into everyday items available even to people of all social classes. The arrival of new crops on both sides of the Atlantic resulted in more varied diets and new patterns of consumption. Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no French fries, and the idea of a marinara sauce was foreign to Italy, as both the tomato and the potato were still confined to the New World, hidden from European kitchens. At the same time, there were crops, such as sugar and coffee, that were known in the Old World, but very rare and expensive. Once these crops found fertile soil in the New World, they became widely available. The increased demand for coffee and sugar-fueled the rise in the African Slave Trade, which resulted in the involuntary movement of millions of Africans to the New World. The non-edible tobacco plant also made a profound impact, as Europeans embraced the habit of smoking the novel substance, as Native Americans had been doing for hundreds of years The impact of the Columbian Exchange on the populations of Europe and the Americas was drastically different. In Europe, the introduction of the potato resulted in a population increase due to the ease of growing the calorie-rich crop on European soil. However, the native population in the New World experienced a catastrophic decline due to a lack of immunity to European diseases, such as smallpox. It is important to note that the Columbian Exchange was not entirely one-sided, as new goods from Europe altered American Indian lives, as well. Europeans brought horses with them, which diffused over North America over the course of the next two centuries made native tribes more mobile – especially in the Great Plains, where they were put to good use by migratory bison hunters. Natives also procured firearms, which helped them in the hunt but also made inter-tribal warfare more deadly and devastating. One of the most significant exchanges that took place across the Atlantic was the intangible exchange of ideas. Europeans arrived in the New World with the intent of spreading Christianity to new lands outside of Europe. This was especially a priority for the Spanish and French monarchies, which actively encouraged the presence of Catholic priests in the New World to evangelize natives. Capitalism – an economic system based on private ownership and the profit motive – was an idea in development in Europe in the fifteenth century. Not only did the idea of capitalism arrive in the New World to greet a native population completely unfamiliar with it, but an increase in global trade and precious metals resulting from the Columbian Exchange accelerated the development of capitalism in Europe. The best way to get better at something is by practicing. 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Please contact us   for all other feedback, comments, requests for technical support, and other communications relating to the Website. Cookie Policy Our website uses cookies to understand content and feature usage to drive site improvements over time. To learn more, review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange—the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas set in motion by European voyages across the Atlantic—marked a dramatic change in global history. Exploring this critical turning point will help students understand both the immediate and gradual consequences of the first truly global network. In this three-day Columbian Exchange lesson plan, students will learn how new routes of exchange and the interconnection of previously isolated continents changed the world forever. Columbian Exchange Three-Day Lesson Plan Teaching this lesson will take approximately 50-150 minutes (one to three 50-min class periods) and will address the following objectives: Use the historical thinking practice of sourcing to evaluate differing perspectives of European and Indigenous American interactions. Assess the impact of the Columbian Exchange on communities, networks, and the environment in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas. Lesson Length: 100-150 minutes (three 50-min class periods) Lesson Objectives Asses the impact of the Columbian Exchange on communities, networks, and the environment in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas. Lesson Description: Of course, there were complex networks of exchange in the Americas long before Columbus arrived. Yet, after the connection between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia began in the late fifteenth century, the first global network emerged. Students will learn how the exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people forever altered the complexity of life on Earth. The Columbian Exchange had a massive impact on the demography of the world, and students will analyze the complexity of this exchange through primary and secondary source analysis and informal writing. Note to teachers: This lesson plan offers a suggested pathway to support the lesson objectives listed above. Based on the needs and objectives of your classroom, you may choose to substitute with the resources listed in “Additional Materials.” The Columbian Exchange created a global network that would forever alter the world’s people, plants, and animals. Students are introduced to the Columbian Exchange by exploring how the transfer of goods, people, disease, and ideas marked the beginning of a period of rapid cultural change. This was a network of exchange that covered almost the entire world and moved new plants and animals to new places, transforming societies and environments around the world. Note: If you’re tight on time, you could skip right to the Quick Opener, which should only take a couple minutes. But if you’re going to use both, use the Interactive Opener first, as the video will reveal the answers otherwise! Quick Opener: Columbian Exchange Intro Video : Kick off this topic by playing this one-minute video for your class. You may want to pause at points to encourage students to examine the maps, or to discuss their initial thoughts on the positives and negatives of this exchange. Finally, give your students time at the end of the video to consider how the Columbian Exchange has impacted their lives. Read: “ The Columbian Exchange ”: For better or for worse, Christopher Columbus’s arrival in North America led to a system of exchange that fundamentally altered the environment, economic systems, and culture across the world. For additional teaching support, including key idea reading questions, click here (log-in required). Activity: World Zone Café : How did the Columbian Exchange impact the food we eat? In this activity, students will create a menu that features both pre- and post-Columbian Exchange items. Assessment: Three-Sentence Essay Exit Ticket: To review key concepts from the materials, students will write a three-sentence summary of what they learned. Then, they’ll pair with a partner to share their summary and have an opportunity to revise before turning it in. Additional Materials: Watch: “ The Columbian Exchange: Crash Course World History #23 ” Read “ Crops that Grew the World ” Read: “ Investigating the Consequences of the Columbian Exchange ” Activity: Columbian Exchange Timeline Activity: Our Interconnected World   The Columbian Exchange transformed communities across the world. Not only foods, but also people moved as a result of this exchange—and not always willingly. Millions of Africans and Europeans ended up in the Americas, a large proportion of them enslaved or otherwise unfree. In the Americas, European conquest permanently altered life for Indigenous communities. Opener: What Do I Know? What Do I Want to Find Out?: In this quick warm-up activity, students have five minutes to preview the materials for the day and write one sentence describing what they think they already know about the material and one question they have. You may also choose to have a quick class discussion based on student responses. Read: “ Transatlantic Migration Patterns ”: Starting in the late fifteenth century, the population of the Americas changed rapidly. People moved across the Atlantic for multiple reasons, both voluntarily and involuntarily. For additional teaching support, including key idea reading questions, click here (log-in required). Read: Amonute – Graphic Biography : Though the facts of her life are disputed, Amonute was an important figure in the relationship between the Powhatan people and English settlers in Virginia. For additional teaching support, including key idea reading questions, click here (log-in required). Assessment: Quick Quiz: In this quick assessment activity, students will write two to three quiz questions they feel capture the most important information from the day. They’ll pair with a partner and take their quiz, then discuss with the class what made a good question, and why. Read: “ The Disastrous Effects of Increased Global Interaction ” Read: “When Humans Become Inhumane” Read: “The Transatlantic Slave Trade” Activity: Quick Sourcing – Accounts of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Read: “ Primary Sources: Accounts of the Transatlantic Slave Trade” Read: “Religious Syncretism in Colonial Mexico City” Activity: Causation – Migration These additional materials support extended learning objectives, including: Assess the impact of the Columbian Exchange and transatlantic migrations on communities in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas. Evaluate the connection between the Columbian Exchange, the transatlantic slave trade, and the plantation system. In 1491, no one living in Europe, Asia, or Africa knew that there were humans in the Americas, and no one in the Americas knew there were humans in Afro-Eurasia. Today, students will use primary source documents to examine different perspectives of the same historical event to create deeper insight into the effects of interconnection. Then, they’ll synthesize their learning from the lesson and respond to a writing prompt. Opener: A Different View : Whether in poetry, or history, it’s pretty amazing how a change in perspective can give you an entirely different view. Skills Activity: Sourcing - Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire : These sixteenth-century primary source documents describe the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Why did they do it? How did Indigenous peoples respond? Assessment: Writing Assessment: Students will use all the information they’ve learned over the past three days to write a paragraph response to the prompt: How did the Columbian Exchange create lasting change to communities, exchange networks, and the environment in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas? Activity: Columbian Exchange Infographic Read: “European Colonies in the Americas” Read: “Survey of Transoceanic Empires, 1450 to 1750” Watch: Colonization and Resistance Read: “Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz – Graphic Biography” Take a closer look Supporting materials or full lesson we’ve got you covered.. Take a deep dive into our free, middle- and high school-level Columbian Exchange materials. Check out the articles, videos, and activities to support an existing lesson, or use our three-day Columbian Exchange lesson plan to explore the global consequences of this momentous event. EXPLORE OER PROJECT LESSON PLANS OER Project courses and lessons create curious, creative, and connected students. Our free, online resources are designed to support teachers and power amazing classrooms. Explore more of our lesson plans on a variety of topics in social studies! Enjoying the Columbian Exchange Lesson Plan? Check out more of what we have to offer. 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Mr. Farshtey's Classroom Class Presentations UNIT ONE: Chapters 13 & 14 - "Big Era" PowerPoints CCOT Charts / Organizers:           Story THE PICTURE: The Columbian Exchange De Las Casas and the Conquistadors Early Visual Representations of the New World Failed European Colonies in the New World Successful European Colonies in the New World A Model of Christian Charity Benjamin Franklin’s Satire of Witch Hunting The American Revolution as Civil War Patrick Henry and “Give Me Liberty!” Lexington & Concord: Tipping Point of the Revolution Abigail Adams and “Remember the Ladies” Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” 1776 Citizen Leadership in the Young Republic After Shays’ Rebellion James Madison Debates a Bill of Rights America, the Creeks, and Other Southeastern Tribes America and the Six Nations: Native Americans After the Revolution The Revolution of 1800 Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The Expansion of Democracy During the Jacksonian Era The Religious Roots of Abolition Individualism in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” Aylmer’s Motivation in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” Thoreau’s Critique of Democracy in “Civil Disobedience” Hester’s A: The Red Badge of Wisdom “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” The Cult of Domesticity The Family Life of the Enslaved A Pro-Slavery Argument, 1857 The Underground Railroad The Enslaved and the Civil War Women, Temperance, and Domesticity “The Chinese Question from a Chinese Standpoint,” 1873 “To Build a Fire”: An Environmentalist Interpretation Progressivism in the Factory Progressivism in the Home The “Aeroplane” as a Symbol of Modernism The “Phenomenon of Lindbergh” The Radio as New Technology: Blessing or Curse? A 1929 Debate The Marshall Plan Speech: Rhetoric and Diplomacy NSC 68: America’s Cold War Blueprint The Moral Vision of Atticus Finch Copyright National Humanities Center, 2015 Lesson Contents Teacher’s note. Text Analysis & Close Reading Questions Follow-Up Assignment Student Version PDF In what ways did the arrival of Europeans to America bring about unforeseen and unintended consequences for the people and environments of both the New World and the Old? Understanding. The Columbian Exchange — the interchange of plants, animals, disease, and technology sparked by Columbus’s voyages to the New World — marked a critical point in history. It allowed ecologies and cultures that had previously been separated by oceans to mix in new and unpredictable ways. It was an interconnected web of events with immediate and extended consequences that could neither be predicted nor controlled. Charles C. Mann, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created Text Complexity Grade 9–10 complexity band. For more information on text complexity see these resources from achievethecore.org . In the Text Analysis section, Tier 2 vocabulary words are defined in pop-ups, and Tier 3 words are explained in brackets. Click here for standards and skills for this lesson. Common Core State Standards ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 (cite evidence to analyze specifically and by inference) ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 (determine a central idea and its development) Advanced Placement US History Key Concept 1.2 (IIA) (introduction of crops and animals not found in the Americas) In this lesson students will explore a description of the Columbian Exchange written by Charles C. Mann as part of the introduction to his book, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created . In three excerpts students will examine elements of the Exchange — an overview, a specific biological example of unintended consequences, and finally an example of unintended human costs of the Columbian Exchange. Each excerpt is accompanied by close reading questions for students to complete. The text analysis is accompanied by three interactive exercises to aid in student understanding. The first interactive allows students to explore vocabulary in context; the second encourages students to review the textual analysis; and the third explores the use of diction, simile, and appeal to authority. This lesson focuses upon the Columbian Exchange as an interwoven process with unforeseen consequences. Charles Mann expands upon the earlier theories of Alfred W. Crosby, who explored the idea of the Columbian Exchange in 1972 (for a general essay on the Columbian Exchange written by Crosby, including suggestions for class discussions, click here ). Although Mann details the effects of tobacco, the potato, corn, malaria, yellow fever, the rubber industry, and other elements of the Exchange in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres fully in 1493 , this lesson focuses specifically upon some effects of the Exchange in Hispaniola. The follow-up assignment allows students to extend the effects of the Exchange into the African slave trade. The author uses Colon, the Spanish spelling for Columbus, throughout, and that spelling has been retained in the excerpts for this lesson. This lesson is divided into two parts, both accessible below. The teacher’s guide includes a background note, the text analysis with responses to the close reading questions, access to the interactive exercises, and a follow-up assignment. The student’s version, an interactive worksheet that can be e-mailed, contains all of the above except the responses to the close reading questions, and the follow-up assignment. (continues below) (click to open) Teacher’s Guide Background questions. What kind of text are we dealing with? When was it written? Who wrote it? For what audience was it intended? For what purpose was it written? When Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola (the island including the modern countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) during his first voyage in 1492, he and his men did not realize the lasting effects their voyage would have on both the New World and the Old at that time and in the years to come. The Columbian Exchange is the term given to the transfer of plants, animals, disease, and technology between the Old World from which Columbus came and the New World which he found. Some exchanges were purposeful — the explorers intentionally brought animals and food — but others were accidental. In this lesson you will read about this Exchange from a description written by Charles C. Mann, a writer specializing in scientific topics. This lesson uses excerpts from a book entitled 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created in which Mann describes the effects, both intended and unintended, of the Columbian Exchange. Mann wrote 1493 to explore the Columbian Exchange as a process which is still going on today. This lesson draws from the introduction in Mann’s book. There are three excerpts, each with close reading questions. The first excerpt is a general overview of the Exchange — while it does not include all parts of the Exchange, you will see examples of how animals and plants from one part of the world replaced those in another part of the world. In excerpt two you will explore a specific example of unintended consequences of the Columbian Exchange, when settlers thought they were simply bringing in an enjoyable food, but they wound up with an invasive pest. Finally, in excerpt three you can see the devastating effects of the Columbian Exchange upon the Taino Indians, the residents of Hispaniola before Columbus arrived. In some of the excerpts you will see Columbus spelled as Colon — this is the Spanish spelling and is used by the author. Text Analysis Close reading questions. 1. Why do you believe Columbus brought cattle, sheep or horses with him? They were part of the European culture. They would help in farming (cattle and sheep) and communication, transportation, and war (horses). The Spanish intended to start a colony and would need the animals. 2. What would the Taino culture have been like without cattle or horses? There would have been communication only by human messenger and fields planted by hand. There would have been no quick communication (by horse) or plowed fields or pastures (no cattle, so they were not possible or necessary) and only a few, small paths, no real roads (the only transportation was by foot). 3. What is the thesis statement of paragraph 1? How does Mann develop that thesis? Cite evidence from the text. The thesis is “Colon and his crew did not voyage alone.” Mann develops that thesis by giving examples to prove his point, including earthworms, cockroaches, African Grasses, rats, and other animals and plants. 4. How did the introduction of cattle and sheep affect plant life on Hispaniola? New grasses for grazing choked out native species. 5. Why is it important that alien grasses, trees, and other plants choked out native vegetation in Hispaniola? Choking out native grasses reduced the biodiversity (the number of distinct life forms) of Hispaniola. Ecosystems that are more biodiverse (they have more distinct life forms) are more productive and are more resistant to diseases. 6. What can be the effect of introducing a new predator into an environment, such as the Indian mongoose in Hispaniola? Give an example. It can render another species extinct, which may itself have unintended consequences. For instance, the food source for the Dominican snake may have increased in population which may have led to other effects. 7. How does Mann show that the Columbian Exchange is still ongoing? He relates how, in 2004, the orange groves have become prey of the lime swallowtail butterflies. 8. In the second paragraph of this excerpt, Mann implies his thesis but does not actually state it. What is the implied thesis of paragraph 2? How does he imply the thesis? Mann implies that the Columbian Exchange can have negative results. He gives examples, citing grasses that were choked out, trees that were replaced with other types of trees, and animals driven toward extinction. In this excerpt, Mann offers an overview of the Columbian Exchange with examples. …Colon [Columbus] and his crew did not voyage alone. They were accompanied by a menagerie of insects, plants, mammals, and microorganisms. Beginning with La Isabela [Colon’s first settlement], European expeditions brought cattle, sheep, and horses, along with crops like sugar cane (originally from New Guinea), wheat (from the Middle East), bananas (from Africa), and coffee (also from Africa). Equally important, creatures the colonists knew nothing about hitchhiked along for the ride. Earthworms, mosquitoes, and cockroaches; honeybees, dandelions, and African grasses; rats of every description — all of them poured from the hulls of Colon’s vessels and those that followed, rushing like eager tourists into lands that had never seen their like before. Movqvites (Mosquito), “Histoire Naturelle des Indes,” ca. 1586 9. According to the author and his sources, what unintended import came in to Hispaniola with plantains? With the plantains came scale insects. 10. How does the author define scale insects? They are small creatures with tough, waxy coats that suck the juices from plant roots and stems. 11. Define “ecological release.” Ecological release is when an invasive species is introduced into an environment with no natural predators and subsequently the population explodes. 12. Using the example of scale insects as evidence, why are natural predators important to an ecosystem? They help to regulate the population of a species and keep an ecosystem in balance. 13. What was the unintended effect of this import, scale insects, according to Wilson? Why did they have this effect? The scale insects sucked juices from plants and stems. They had no natural enemies, so their populations grew greatly. The scale insects became a food source for fire ants. With a virtually unlimited food source, the fire ant population grew greatly. The fire ants invaded settlers’ homes. This proved to be dangerous to the settlers. 14. Mann begins the second paragraph in this excerpt with “So far this is informed speculation.” What effect does this admission have on our perception of Mann as an author? It reminds the reader that Mann is approaching his topic from a scientific perspective, being careful to alert readers to what is proven and what is not. This helps to establish him as a writer we can trust. 15. What document from the 1500s seems to confirm this unintended effect? Bartolome de Las Casas wrote of a sudden infestation of fire ants in 1518 and 1519. 16. What was the unintended effect to settlers of the introduction of plantains to Hispaniola? Although they had plantains to eat, they also had to deal with fire ants. As a result, they abandoned their homes. 17. How does Mann combine 16th and 20th century evidence? He uses 20th century science to explain a 16th century eye-witness account. Here Mann gives a specific example of unintended consequences. Natives and newcomers interacted in unexpected ways, creating biological bedlam . When Spanish colonists imported African plantains [a tropical plant that resembles a banana] in 1516, the Harvard entomologist Edward O. Wilson has proposed, they also imported scale insects, small creatures with tough, waxy coats that suck the juices from plant roots and stems. About a dozen banana-infesting scale insects are known in Africa. In Hispaniola, Wilson argued, these insects had no natural enemies. In consequence, their numbers must have exploded — a phenomenon known to science as “ecological release.” This spread of scale insects would have dismayed the island’s European banana farmers but delighted one of its native species: the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata . S. geminata is fond of dining on scale insects’ sugary excrement; to ensure the flow, the ants will attack anything that disturbs them. A big increase in scale insects would have led to a big increase in fire ants. 18. What is the thesis of this excerpt? Mann asserts that “the most dramatic impact of the Columbian Exchange was on humankind itself.” 19. What evidence does Mann use to develop this thesis? He uses Columbus’s original account, 16th century official Spanish documents, and estimates by modern historians. 20. Why did the Spanish conduct a census of the Indians on Hispaniola in 1514? What did the census find regarding the Taino population? The Spanish conducted a census in order to count the Taino so that they could be assigned to Spanish settlers as laborers. This was part of the encomienda system, whereby a Spanish settler was given a plantation as well as the labor of all the Indians who lived on that plantation. The census-takers found that there were few Taino left, perhaps only about 26,000. 21. According to the author, what two factors caused this change in population? Which cause was the most influential? The two causes were Spanish cruelty and the introduction of diseases by the Columbian Exchange. The most influential was the introduction of disease. 22. The third sentence in paragraph 2 of this excerpt uses a rhetorical device called asyndeton. Asyndeton is a list of items with conjunctions omitted and can be used to imply that there are more items that could be added to the list. What types of items does the author list using asyndeton? What is the effect? The author lists diseases, both viruses and bacteria. The effect is a “piling up”, implying that more diseases were brought to Hispaniola as well, but the author may not have the space in the sentence to list them. In fact, other diseases were introduced by the Columbian Exchange, including malaria, yellow fever, whooping cough, chicken pox, the bubonic plague, and leprosy. 23. Why was the introduction of these diseases so devastating for the Taino and not the Spanish explorers? The Taino had never been exposed to these diseases before and therefore had no natural immunity to stop or control the spread of the disease. The Spanish did have some natural immunity, since the diseases were present in Europe at that time. 24. What is the effect of Mann including the information about the first recorded epidemic, which occurred within one year of Columbus’s arrival? He reminds the reader that the devastating effects of diseases brought by the Exchange happened almost immediately for the Taino. This conveys the seriousness of the Exchange as well as the power of the diseases in a population with no natural immunity. From the human perspective, the most dramatic impact of the Columbian Exchange was on humankind itself. Spanish accounts suggest that Hispaniola had a large native population: Colón, for instance, casually described the Taino as “innumerable, for I believe there to be millions upon millions of them.” Las Casas claimed the population to be “more than three million.” Modern researchers have not nailed down the number; estimates range from 60,000 to almost 8,000,000. A careful study in 2003 argued that the true figure was “a few hundred thousand.” No matter what the original number, though, the European impact was horrific . In 1514, twenty-two years after Colon’s first voyage, the Spanish government counted up the Indians on Hispaniola for the purpose of allocating them among colonists as laborers. Census agents fanned the across the island but found only 26,000 Taino. Thirty-four years later, according to one scholarly Spanish resident, fewer than 500 Taino were alive…. Spanish cruelty played its part in the calamity , but its larger cause was the Columbian Exchange. Before Colon none of the epidemic diseases common in Europe and Asia existed in the Americas. The viruses that cause smallpox, influenza, hepatitis, measles, encephalitis, and viral pneumonia; the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, diphtheria, cholera, typhus, scarlet fever, and bacterial meningitis — by a quirk of evolutionary history, all were unknown in the Western Hemisphere. Shipped across the ocean from Europe these maladies consumed Hispaniola’s native population with stunning rapacity . The first recorded epidemic, perhaps due to swine flu, was in 1493…. Joan Vinckeboons, “Map of the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico,” 1639(?) Mann describes in excerpt three a major change in Taino population on Hispaniola and the effects of this change on the Taino population and the Spanish. But another group was also affected — enslaved Africans. The Spanish used the encomienda system in Hispaniola, whereby conquistadors were given large plantations as well as the Indian slave labor of all who lived on the plantation. Through this system the Spanish moved quickly to enslave Indians, even though the official mission of the Spanish was to Christianize them. In response to pressure from the Catholic Church, in 1542 King Carlos V banned Indian slavery, opening the way for African slaves. Mann writes, By 1501, seven years after La Isabella’s founding, so many Africans [as slaves] had come to Hispaniola that the alarmed Spanish king and queen instructed the island’s governor not to allow any more to land [but]…the colonists saw that the Africans appeared immune to disease, didn’t have local social networks that would help them escape, and possessed useful skills — many African societies were well known for their ironworking and horsemanship. Slave ships bellied up to the docks of Santo Domingo in ever-greater numbers. The slaves were not as easily controlled as the colonists had hoped [and]…. No longer were Africans slipped into the Americas by the handful. The rise of sugar production [sugar production is very labor intensive] in Mexico and the concurrent rise in Brazil opened the floodgates. Between 1550 and 1650…slave ships ferried across about 650,000 Africans, with the total split more or less equally between Spanish and Portuguese America…. Soon they [Africans] were more ubiquitous [existing everywhere] in the Americas than Europeans, with results the latter never expected. (Mann, p.387–388) What do you believe might have been some of the “results the latter [the Europeans] never expected”? In what ways can New World slavery be said to be related to the Columbian Exchange? Discuss the possible unintended consequences with your classmates. Use specific examples as evidence. Vocabulary Pop-Ups menagerie : collection of wild or unusual animals alien : foreign, hostile depredation : ravages bedlam : wild confusion entomologist : insect expert phenomenon : observable event or fact dismayed : alarmed speculation : thoughtful opinion culprit : villain horrific : causing horror fanned : spread out calamity : great disaster quirk : peculiar action maladies : chronic diseases rapacity : fierce hunger Charles C. Mann, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created (New York: Vintage Books, 2012). Bouttats, Pieter Balthazar, 1666–1755, engraver. : El almirante Christoral Colon descubre la Isla Española, iy haze poner una Cruz, etc. / P. B. Bouttats fec., Aqua forti. [1728] Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3a10998/?co=cph (accessed September 15, 2014). Histoire Naturelle des Indes , Illustrated manuscript. ca. 1586. Bequest of Clara S. Peck, 1983 MA 3900 (fol. 71v–72) The Morgan Library and Museum, New York. http://www.themorgan.org/collection/Histoire-Naturelle-des-Indes/72 Vinckeboons, Joan. Map of the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Map. [1639?] Pen-and-ink and watercolor. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA http://www.loc.gov/item/2003623402/ (accessed September 15, 2014) De insulis nuper in mari Indico repertis [Christopher Columbus discovering America]. Woodcut, 1494. Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Illus. in Incun. 1494 .V47 Vollbehr Coll [Rare Book RR] http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3g04806/?co=cph (accessed September 29, 2014). Christopher Columbus leaving Spain to go to America. London : J. Edwards, 1800? 1 print : engraving. Illus. in: America, part 4 / Theodore de Bry, 1528-1598, ed., 1800?, plate VIII. Library of Congress Miscellaneous Items in High Demand Collection http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90715316/ (accessed September 29, 2014). Christophe Colomb parmi les Indiens / lith. de Turgis. Paris : Vve. Turgis, [between 1850 and 1900]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/93504854/ (accessed September 29, 2014). Histoire Naturelle des Indes , Illustrated manuscript. ca. 1586. Bequest of Clara S. Peck, 1983 MA 3900 (fol. 11v–12) The Morgan Library and Museum, New York. http://www.themorgan.org/collection/Histoire-Naturelle-des-Indes/12 National Humanities Center | 7 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12256 | Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 Phone: (919) 549-0661 | Fax: (919) 990-8535 | nationalhumanitiescenter.org Copyright 2010–2023 National Humanities Center. All rights reserved. Pardon Our Interruption As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen: You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. You've disabled cookies in your web browser. A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article . To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. 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To continue reading, please log in or subscribe. Get unlimited access today for only $9.99 / month Subscribe now Blinken visits Gaza mediators in pursuit of cease-fire deal as Hamas, Israel signal challenges Updated 2 days ago JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead Tuesday with the latest  diplomatic mission to secure a cease-fire in Gaza , even as Hamas and Israel signaled that challenges remain. The militant Hamas group called the latest proposal presented to it a “reversal” of what it had agreed to, and accused the United States in a statement of acquiescing to “new conditions” from Israel. There was no immediate U.S. response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, met with right-wing groups of families of fallen soldiers and hostages in Gaza. The groups, which oppose a cease-fire deal, said Netanyahu told them Israel will not abandon  two strategic corridors in Gaza  whose control by Israel has been an obstacle in the talks. Netanyahu’s office did not comment on their account. A senior U.S. official rejected as “totally untrue” Netanyahu’s alleged comments that he had told Blinken that Israel would never leave the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Blinken’s private diplomatic talks. Netanyahu’s meeting with the families came as Israel’s military said it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war, bringing fresh grief for many Israelis who have long pressed Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire that would bring remaining hostages home. New protests were held Tuesday. Blinken’s meetings in Egypt, which borders Gaza, and in Qatar, which hosts some Hamas leaders in exile, come a day after he met Netanyahu and said the prime minister had  accepted a U.S. proposal to bridge gaps  separating Israel and Hamas. Blinken called on Hamas to do the same. Officials did not release details of the bridging proposal. But there appear to be wide gaps between the two sides, though angry statements often serve as pressure tactics during negotiations. There has been added urgency to seal a deal after the recent targeted killings of militant leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon, both blamed on Israel, and vows of retaliation that have sparked fears of a wider regional war. Israel’s military said its forces recovered the six bodies of hostages in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, saying they were killed during a time that troops were operating in Khan Younis. Hamas says some captives have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, though returning hostages have talked about difficult conditions in captivity, including lack of food or medications. The recovery of the remains is also a blow to Hamas, which  hopes to exchange hostages  for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal and a lasting cease-fire. The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell and Buchshtav had family members who were also taken hostage and were freed during a November cease-fire. Munder’s death was confirmed by Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where he was among  around 80 residents seized . It said he died after “months of physical and mental torture.” Israeli authorities previously determined the other five were dead. There were no reports of casualties among Israelis or Palestinians in the recovery operation. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages captured on Oct. 7. Israeli authorities estimate around a third are dead. Hamas-led militants burst through Israel’s defenses on Oct. 7 and rampaged across the south, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage. Over 100 were released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel during last year’s cease-fire. Israel’s retaliatory offensive  has killed over 40,000 Palestinians , according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The air and ground offensive has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often multiple times. Aid groups  fear the outbreak of diseases like polio . An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday killed at least 12 people at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defense, first responders operating under the Hamas-run government, said around 700 people had been sheltering at the Mustafa Hafez school. Israel’s military said the strike targeted Hamas militants who had set up a command center there. “We don’t know where to go … or where to shelter our children,” said Um Khalil Abu Agwa, a displaced woman there. An Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah hit people walking down the street and seven were killed, including a woman and two children, according to an Associated Press journalist who counted the bodies. More than 20 others were wounded. Another airstrike in central Gaza killed five children and their mother, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where an AP journalist counted the bodies. Palestinians displaced by recent Israeli evacuation orders crowded into already teeming areas. One child in Deir al-Balah slept on cardboard as insects flew around his face. “Are they going to dig the ground and dump us there, or put us on a boat and throw us in the sea? I don’t know,” said one man, Abu Shady Afana. Related Stories 141 IMAGES SOLUTION: Columbian Exchange Project AP World History ≫ Effects of the Columbian Exchange on the Old and New Worlds Free The Columbian Exchange: Shaping Nations Through Trade and Culture Free Essay websites: The columbian exchange essay Columbian Exchange DBQ Impacts of the Columbian Exchange Essay Example COMMENTS PDF AP World History "In the period 1450−1750, oceanic voyages resulted in the Columbian Exchange, which transformed the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Develop an argument that evaluates how the Columbian Exchange affected peoples in the Americas in this time period." Maximum Possible Points: 6 . Points Rubric Notes A: Thesis/Claim (0 - 1) AP World History Unit 4 Review (1450-1750) The following outline was adapted from the AP World History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.* Major Trends Between 1450-1750 - New technology → More exploration → Columbian Exchange. Effects of the Columbian Exchange Period 1: 1491-1607 AP US History Study Guide Period 1: 1491-1607. On a North American continent controlled by American Indians, contact among the peoples of Europe, the Americas, and West Africa created a new world. The British Library Board. "Their sitting at meate," Travels through Virginia [from Theodor de Bry's Americae, vol. The Columbian Exchange: AP® World History Crash Course Review And as an AP® World History review, we love historical problems. Although there were definitely some great things that came about from the Columbian Exchange, it most definitely was not even-handed. The Europeans got the good deal, while indigenous Americans suffered. One of the main reasons for this was the rampant spreading of disease. PDF AP World History: Modern A. Thesis/Claim (0-1 points): 1. The response earned 1 point for thesis/claim in the introduction: "The extent to which on going cross-cultural interactions affected trade and/or exploration during the period circa 1450-1750 was that of a positive impact due to the expansion of trade, religion, and land.". AP World History DBQ Example Our AP World History DBQ example will guide you through the step to a perfect answer. Evaluate the effects of the Columbian Exchange on the peoples and cultures of the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas) from the late 15th century to the 17th century. Guided Response: Thesis/Claim (A): The Columbian Exchange, initiated ... The COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE, Explained [AP World History Review ... More from Heimler's History:***Get the AP World HEIMLER REVIEW GUIDE: https://bit.ly/46rfHH1***Get the AP World Video Noteguides: https://bit.ly/3NRHzgaTikto... PDF AP® WORLD HISTORY AP® WORLD HISTORY 2012 SCORING GUIDELINES Question 3 BASIC CORE (competence) 0-7 Points . ... of the essay. • The thesis may appear as one sentence or as multiple sentences. ... demographic and environmental effects of the Columbian Exchange from 1492 to 1750 on two regions: the Americas and either Asia, Africa, or Europe. ... Topic 4.3 The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange also diffused new cropsfrom the Americas to locations throughout the world. Potatoeswere transplanted to places like Europe, Russia, and China. Because they produce heavier yields than cereal grains and can be cultivated in higher altitudes, potatoes led to increased surpluses of food. About 25% of the population growth ... PDF The Columbian Exchange This transfer of goods, people, microbes,1 and ideas is often referred to as the Columbian Exchange. This exchange created new global networks and radically shaped communities in the Americas. The Columbian Exchange connected almost all of the world through new networks of trade and exchange. The inter- continental transfer of plants, animals ... Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange is a term coined by Alfred Crosby Jr. in 1972 that is traditionally defined as the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World of Europe and Africa and the New World of the Americas. The exchange began in the aftermath of Christopher Columbus' voyages in 1492, later accelerating with the European colonization of the Americas. PDF AP World History: Modern World History: Modern ecosystems AP® 2022 Scoring Guidelines (C) Explain ONE way in which the transfer of crops and/or domesticated animals during the Columbian Exchange affected the environment. 1 point Examples that earn this point include the following: AP World History: Modern Key Takeaways — AP World History Period 2 (1450-1750) The Americas became part of the global trade network, spurred by the Columbian Exchange. New diseases, crops, people, and cultures were distributed throughout the world. Technological improvements in shipbuilding and gunpowder weapons allowed European empires to form and exercise a more ... AP World History wiki / Columbian Exchange The "Columbian Exchange" refers to the exchange of goods between the old and new worlds after Columbus' travels. While his "discovery" of America is up for debate, he is credited with opening up the Atlantic trade routes that would impact nearly every part of the world. The Columbian Exchange (article) The Columbian Exchange: goods introduced by Europe, produced in New World. As Europeans traversed the Atlantic, they brought with them plants, animals, and diseases that changed lives and landscapes on both sides of the ocean. These two-way exchanges between the Americas and Europe/Africa are known collectively as the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange Explained The Columbian Exchange was a massive exchange of crops, animals, people, diseases, goods, and ideas between the Old World (Africa, Asia, and Europe) and the New World (the Americas), which greatly altered people's lives on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The explosion of global trade then occurred as a result transformed goods that had ... The Columbian Exchange Lesson Plans The Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange—the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas set in motion by European voyages across the Atlantic—marked a dramatic change in global history. Exploring this critical turning point will help students understand both the immediate and gradual consequences of the first truly global network. AP World History Class Presentations Recurring Themes in AP World History UNIT ONE: Chapters 13 & 14 8 Features / Characteristics of "Civilization" ... The Columbian Exchange 12 Diseases that Altered History Discovery and Settlement of a New World ... The C-C-O-T ESSAY Guide to CCOT Essays CCOT Charts / Organizers: #1 #2 #3 C-C-O-T Rubric. The Columbian Exchange Teacher's Note. In this lesson students will explore a description of the Columbian Exchange written by Charles C. Mann as part of the introduction to his book, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created.In three excerpts students will examine elements of the Exchange — an overview, a specific biological example of unintended consequences, and finally an example of unintended human ... AP World 4.3 Columbian Exchange Flashcards Columbian Exchange. The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, foods, and technologies between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Why were Native Americans so affected by smallpox and other European diseases? Prior to the arrival of Columbus, Native Americans had been completely isolated from Europeans and European diseases and therefore had ... The Columbian Exchange: Impact on World History 1 Futzer Imeri Professor Powell HIST 2610.005 Giulianna Futzer Imeri 23 February 2024 Exam 1:Units 1-5 Section One: 1. Columbian Exchange: The term "Columbian Exchange" describes the massive movement of people, technology, ideas, animals, and plants between the Americas, Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries after Christopher Columbus's expedition in 1492. AP World History: Modern Exam Questions If you are using assistive technology and need help accessing these PDFs in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected]. The 2020 free-response questions are available in the AP Classroom question bank. Download free-response questions from past AP World History exams ... columbian exchange quiz Flashcards Terms in this set (24) Columbian Exchange. The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages. major american things. potatoes, tobacco, corn, turkeys, syphilis, rubber, quinine. Major Afro-Eurasia things. Blinken ends latest Mideast visit without a cease-fire ... DOHA, Qatar (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began without securing any major breakthrough for a cease-fire deal ... Blinken warns now may be the last chance to get a cease ... TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the time is now to conclude a Gaza cease-fire agreement that would return hostages held by Hamas and bring relief ... Zelenskyy visits border area for the first time since ... KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toured the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy on Thursday in his first visit to the border area since his forces launched their surprise ... Blinken visits Gaza mediators in pursuit of cease-fire ... JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead Tuesday with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a cease-fire in the ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis