There are 4 major crops in the world today. Two are from the 'Old World' (rice and wheat). Two are from the 'New World' (maize/corn and potatoes). Before about 1500 nobody in Europe or Asia or Africa knew anything about corn or potatoes. They also didn't know anything about chocolate or tobacco either. And, they didn't know anything about tomatoes. These all came from the 'New World'. What would Italian food be like before they embraced tomato-based sauces? They were cheese-based before they got tomatoes from the America's. So, what we think about as so typically Italian, is a more recent concoction. Think about the Potatoes in Ireland. They got them from the America's.
How about the other way around? Think of all the thousands of miles of wheat grown in the midwest and west. These came from Europe.
What else did Europe contribute? How about disease? When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas and discovered America, there were at least 35 million Indians in the America's and quite possibly as much as 100 million. Within 50 years 85-90% of them had died due to these diseases carried over on the ships. That means between 25-90 million Indians died in 50 years, almost all of them without ever having even seen or heard of a European.
Misconception: that when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, it was because of their guns and the Inca's and Aztec beliefs that they were gods that gave them the big edge and allowed them to run rampant through them. The truth is that while there was some question of who they were and possible connection with the gods, the biggest factor affecting success for the Spanish was a combination of ferocious fighting within the tribes themselves, who were fighting over successors, and between different tribes, many of whom were victims of Aztec agression and their need to sacrifice blood to appease the gods. Couple that with disease the Spanish brought with them and the Aztec and Inca's were at a disadvantage.
Slavery: Everyone engaged in it from both sides of the Atlantic, including other Africans. Active Atlantic slave trading was engaged in for about 400 years, ending in the mid to late 19th century. When the Spanish and Portuguese came to America they conquered and acquired land. To take advantage of this land they used Indian labor to work the fields and the mines. Unfortunately, they were very vulnerable to European diseases and 85-90% of them died out very quickly. As a result, new Spanish landowners had lots of land but nobody to work it. They began using slaves from Africa as an alternative and increasingly relied on them for their labor needs. The largest number of African slaves ended up in Brazil (which used about a third of all slaves). The percentage in the United States? -- About 6%. The last country to outlaw slavery? Brazil in 1891.
How about the other way around? Think of all the thousands of miles of wheat grown in the midwest and west. These came from Europe.
What else did Europe contribute? How about disease? When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas and discovered America, there were at least 35 million Indians in the America's and quite possibly as much as 100 million. Within 50 years 85-90% of them had died due to these diseases carried over on the ships. That means between 25-90 million Indians died in 50 years, almost all of them without ever having even seen or heard of a European.
Misconception: that when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, it was because of their guns and the Inca's and Aztec beliefs that they were gods that gave them the big edge and allowed them to run rampant through them. The truth is that while there was some question of who they were and possible connection with the gods, the biggest factor affecting success for the Spanish was a combination of ferocious fighting within the tribes themselves, who were fighting over successors, and between different tribes, many of whom were victims of Aztec agression and their need to sacrifice blood to appease the gods. Couple that with disease the Spanish brought with them and the Aztec and Inca's were at a disadvantage.
Slavery: Everyone engaged in it from both sides of the Atlantic, including other Africans. Active Atlantic slave trading was engaged in for about 400 years, ending in the mid to late 19th century. When the Spanish and Portuguese came to America they conquered and acquired land. To take advantage of this land they used Indian labor to work the fields and the mines. Unfortunately, they were very vulnerable to European diseases and 85-90% of them died out very quickly. As a result, new Spanish landowners had lots of land but nobody to work it. They began using slaves from Africa as an alternative and increasingly relied on them for their labor needs. The largest number of African slaves ended up in Brazil (which used about a third of all slaves). The percentage in the United States? -- About 6%. The last country to outlaw slavery? Brazil in 1891.
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