First, please note that this exchange is the Columbian Exchange and not the Colombian Exchange. It is named after Christopher Columbus and not after the country of Colombia. This is one of the very few instances in which “Columbian” is the proper spelling.
The Columbian Exchanged affected some people’s lives tremendously and others’ lives in relatively less significant ways. The people who were most strongly affected were the natives of the Americas and those of Africa. The American natives were affected tremendously, mostly in negative ways. It is possible to say that they were helped by the Columbian Exchange because the exchange brought new species of animals (most importantly horses) to the New World. This arguably improved the lifestyles of many native groups, most notably the Plains Indians. However, the natives of the Americas were devastated by the germs that came to the New World as part of the exchange. Infectious diseases like smallpox are believed to have killed up to 90% of the native population since that population had no resistance to those diseases.
The Columbian Exchange also harmed natives of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those from the west coast of that continent. This is true because the slave trade is generally seen as part of the Columbian Exchange. The slave trade took millions of Africans and changed their lives by bringing them to the New World where they were enslaved. It changed their lives by taking their freedom and by removing them from their homelands.
The Columbian Exchange had mostly positive, though less important, impacts on Europe. Europeans’ lives were generally enriched by the exchange. Europeans got new foods like tomatoes and potatoes. They got corn and tobacco and chocolate. All of these new foods diversified their diets and made them more interesting. Other Europeans enriched themselves monetarily. Many Europeans came to the New World and made their fortunes. In these ways, Europeans were generally helped by the Columbian Exchange.
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