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Colombian Exchange

Definition

The Colombian Exchange refers to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia) in the 15th and 16th centuries after Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Analogy

Think of it like a massive potluck dinner where everyone brings something different to share. Europe brought horses and wheat; America brought potatoes and tomatoes. But just like at any potluck, there were some unwanted items too - like diseases from Europe that had devastating effects on Native American populations.

Related terms

New World: Refers to the Western Hemisphere including North and South America which were 'new' to Europeans who discovered them during exploration era.

Old World: This term is used for referring to Africa, Europe, and Asia or essentially all parts of world known to Europeans before they discovered Americas.

Smallpox: A highly contagious disease brought by Europeans to Americas during Colombian exchange which led to large scale deaths among native population as they had no immunity against it.