Who Gained The Most From The Colombian Exchange? Europe Or The Americas?
We will begin the semester focusing on the topic of the Colonization of the Americas by the European nations.
Please view "The Americas Before Columbus" by the History Channel. Here is the free link:
https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=RkicPYuEv2E
Assignment:
Your assignment is a position paper. Answer the following question in your own words.
"Who gained the most from The Colombian Exchange? Europe or the Americas?"
Please cite examples of facts from the documentary. I am interested in your opinion based on facts.
The format for the paper will be 2 page double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font. It should be 500 words long.
Expectations:
1) Do Not Plagiarize. All papers submitted are vetted through the college's computer program for copies work. So, no, you cannot cut and paste from the internet (wikipedia, quorum, etc). Plagiarism is grounds for dismissal from the class.
2) Use Footnotes. If you use an outside source as a basis for your position please make a citation with a footnote for the end of the paper. Do not clog up the paper with parenthetical citations. If you quote a fact from an outside source, simply put a footnote and add where you obtained the information at the end of your paper.
The assignment is due February 6th, at 5 p.m.
Instructor’s Name
Course Number
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Who gained the most from The Colombian Exchange? Europe or the Americas?
Drawing from the documentary “America Before Columbus” to study the Pre-Columbian state of the Americas is a rather limited exercise considering the documentary focuses more on the Columbus voyage and the ‘post Columbian’ age that deliberately focuses on North America rather than the entire continent. This is evident in the slightly more than 30 minutes (out of 90) dedicated to pre-Columbian issues against almost one hour focusing on the post-Columbian age, despite the documentary title.
That notwithstanding, the bigger question of who benefited the most from The Colombian Exchange between Europe and the Americas is partly addressed in much of the final segment of the feature. Before addressing this issue, it is important to have a brief look at the condition of the Americas prior to Christopher Columbus arrival in 1492.
Prior to Europe’s discovery of the Americas, archeological evidence points to human settlement on the continent as far back as 50,000 years ago, with studies indicating these inhabitants came from regions as far away as Siberia. Archeologists have certainly discovered artifacts dating as far back as 20,000 years ago. It is the descendants of these prehistoric colonists who created the civilizations Europeans met in the 15 century onwards.
With that in mind, what kind of people, the Native Americans or First Nations, did Europeans encounter and what did they bring to these people. What did these people give in return to create what is today known as The Columbian Exchange?
Pre-Columbian America was home to tens of advance...