How did Columbus’s Discoveries Change the World?

In 1492 Columbus sailed unintentionally to the “New World”, an event which had a
major effect on both Europe and the America’s. In the years that followed several explorers set
out to colonize and conquer the new world. In this essay I will examine the consequences of
this exploration, and how his discoveries would change the world permanently.

To begin with, the discoveries of Columbus changed the economics of both Europe and
the America’s for hundreds of years. The collision between two different worlds creates the
Columbian Exchange. The Columbian exchange refers to the exchange of diseases, ideas, food,
crops, and populations between the New World and the Old World. For example, the
Columbian exchange encouraged the trade between other countries, while also led to the
exploration of the America’s in search of gold and silver. Consequently, brought huge amount
of wealth to European countries such as Spain becoming the strongest country of western
Europe, overall increased economic growth in Europe. On the other hand, the Aztecs and Incas
received most of the negative effects. They were looted by the ‘greedy’ and ‘weaponized’
Europeans, as well as a vast number of lands with resources colonized by the foreigners, forced
labors to gain further economic growth. Therefore, we can distinguish the contrast between the
impact of the Columbian exchange on Europe and the America’s.

Moreover, the discoveries also changed the lives of people in Europe. We can point out
that the new foods, wealth and resources that brought to the Europeans. For example, sweet
potato, avocado, cacao beans, tobacco and tomato all came back to Europe. As well as
medicines such as quinine which helped to prevent Malaria. Additionally, the huge quantity of
rich minerals in the New World made a great many of people rich in Europe. People spent their
money on luxuries, and gained confidence, and also reinforced faith. Overall, the benefits and
profits from Columbus’s exploration are mainly “absorbed” by Europeans, and changes the
general influence of Europe to the world at that time, which the effect still exists today.

Finally, though many good things came out of Columbus' discovery of the new land,
there was a significant effect on the native people living in the Americas prior to Columbus'
discover. When the Europeans arrived they brought with them diseases unknown to the
natives. The natives, having no immunity died from diseases, over 90% of Native Americans
died due to smallpox epidemic. Furthermore, Catholic missionaries from European countries
came to the Americas when slavery was first beginning to convert the Native Americas to
Christianity. The missionaries taught the natives the European culture, language, and religious
beliefs, forcing them to forget their own culture. The Europeans used slaves instead of paying
someone to cultivate crops, the natives and Africans took after the crops, mostly sugarcane. On
top of all of these factors was the Europeans need for land and food. Native groups, because
they were nomadic, didn't see land as belonging to one person. The idea that someone could
come in, claim a piece of land and ban them from it caused many problems. Wars broke out
over the fact that they could no longer hunt or forage for food in places they had always done
so. Rather than gaining the advantage, unfortunately the numerous amounts of drawbacks turn
up for the natives, causing problems and issues of all kinds.

In conclusion, Columbus’s discovery of the New World was remarkable, it sparked The
Columbian Exchange, which connects two different worlds. There were both negative and
positive consequences, in which case the European obtained its global economic influence,
while the Native Americans were exploited and hugely impacted by depopulation and cultural
loss. Therefore, even though Christopher Columbus wasn’t the first to reach America, but he
forever changed both the Old and New World.