Colonization :: American America History

ColonizationDuring the early years of colonization and exploration in North America and Africa, many New World collided and brought to each other many new things, both good and bad. There were exchanges of ideas, products and crops that greatly advanced the cultures of all told involved, but on the other hand, new diseases, and harsh treatment of one another were also present. Before the arrival of the Europeans to present day United States, the indigenous Americans treated their homeland with respect and with spiritual properties. Occasionally they burned sections of land in the wilderness for better catch area, but other than that they provided no affright to its well being. This all changed when the European settlers arrived. The Europeans believed that humans had domination over the land. By building huge colonies, extensive road systems and for other technological advances, the colonizers greatly changed the brass instrument of our nation. Another impact on both the Native Americans and the Europeans was the sharing of native crops to each other. The Europeans brought back from the New World, tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes, which provided food for the now greatly populated Europe. separate crops that were brought to Europe included blueberry, cranberry, papaya, wild rice, and pumpkin. In exchange for these great new crops the Europeans brought massive amounts of pigs, cattle, and horses. The horse highly effected the lives of the Native Americans by improving their hunting abilities. Another crop that did exceptionally well in the tropical climate of the Caribbean was the sugar cane brought over by Columbus. Not all things exchanged were beneficial, however. Europeans unwittingly brought with them many diseases that eventually plagues the Native Americans. Small pox, yellow fever, and malaria were some of the devastating diseases carried into the New World. Native Americans did also transfer the sexually transmitted disease of syph to the Europeans who had never experienced this before. Also, the ill treatment of the Native Americans by the land hungry Europeans virtually wiped out their civilization. Although at times they waged wars that would temporarily halt the European colonization, for the most part their voice in North America was forever muzzled. During the European exploration of Africa, similar events occurred. Europeans brought the crops of maize, manioc, and sweet potatoes, which they had received, from the Native Americans, to Africa. These crops fed the great profit of population that was occurring in Africa at the time.