The Columbian Exchange Vs. the Triangular trade

What is the Columbian exchange? Many people may have never heard this term before. The Columbian exchange began after Columbus begins to make “settlements” in the “new world” in the year 1492. Now, you may think how does finding a new civilization cause and exchange. Well, the Columbian exchange was not all about products and culture. In reality, it was mostly dealing with the biological effects of the “immigrants” on the natives. When the settlers first arrived in the “new world,” there were millions of natives living there. As a few decades went by, we see that the population dwindled to just over a few thousands. Of course there was warfare, but the biggest warfare was the disease that came because of the Columbian Exchange. The Spaniards bought with them not only domesticated animals such as: Pigs, Horses, chicken, and food such as: Bananas and onion, they also bought along with them Small pox and Malaria. Because the natives had no immunity to these diseases, many of them perished.

From the new world, they took back maize, beans, Cocao, peanuts and Tobacco. They also learned new farming techniques. What is the triangular trade? When you hear this, many may believe that it was a trade done in a certain shape or certain way. Many may also believe that the Columbian exchange and Triangular Trade are one in the same. That is not entirely true. The triangular trade was the time period between 1451 and 1870. They focused primarily on products. This means that they focused on manufactured goods, cotton, tobacco and slaves. “British America (colonies) sent raw materials, such as fish and furs, to England in return for manufactured goods.

The colonies participated in the triangular trade with Africa and the Caribbean, building ships and exporting manufactured goods, especially rum, while “importing” slaves from Africa.” (America) with the triangular trade many of the colonies suffered because there was a shortage of money that they could use to ship and receive goods. They in turned to what they called the barter system, where they would trade tobacco and rice for shipping products. The because of the triangular trade there are a lot of products that we have today. If I had to pick between these two and tell you which I believe to be better, I would have to say the triangular trade. I say this because for thousands of years before this, people were trading with others and creating new things.

The Columbia Exchange did not do anything but cause death and ruin. They neither helped nor created something that would actually help the Natives of the many lands. Sure, they may have thought that by bringing over a few trinkets here and there would help them, but the only thing that they really got from the Columbian Exchange was riches. However, even though I do not agree with the Triangular Trade methods, I do like what they did. They actually used what they had and traded it around. Henceforth, spreading culture to other nations, whether they admit it or not. They did kill off Natives, not in the same way but similar. They took their land and what they had worked hard for and took it for themselves. Even though both of these where horrid times they did help shape the world we have now. If it wasn’t for the British, Spanish, Dutch and many other countries where do you think we would be now.