THE COLUMBIAN
EXCHANGE
APUSH
Period 1 Lesson 2
Why did Europeans Travel?
• They wanted to trade
with the East, but it was
controlled by Italy. So
Spain and Portugal
tried other ways to get
there.
How could Europeans Travel?
• Mariner’s
Compass
• Caravel
• Competition
between newly
formed Spain and
Portugal for
exploration cred
• Renaissance = Printing
Press = Information
• Mariner’s
Astrolabe
Treaty of Tordesillas 1494
Spain
Portugal
• “Split control” of the world between Spain and
Portugal.
• Spain gets most of the New World (except Brazil)
• Portugal gets Africa and…Brazil
SPANISH
CONQUISTADORS
Cortes and the Aztecs 1519-1522
• 1519 Cortes befriended the Tlaxcala (enemy of the
Aztecs)
• Aztec leader, Montezuma, was killed
• Mexica were crushed in 1522
Pizarro and the Incas 1531-1532
Pizarro
Atahualpa
Incan Road System
Results of Conquistadors for
Spain, Europe, the World….
• Early conquistadors sent vast stores of silver
and gold back to Spain which flooded the
European money supply, led to inflation, and
probably led to the rise of capitalism (since
there was a much larger and accessible
money supply)
“What is Capitalism?” you ask?
• Capitalism is an ECONOMIC SYSTEM
• While it allows for the “free market” and a
competition between privately held businesses at
this time it is important because:
• It requires an investment of CAPITAL (money) into
businesses to get them started.
• Europe never had this much capital before
• Would be seen in the new idea of JOINT STOCK
COMPANIES
How were the Europeans Able to
Dominate so Quickly?
• Horses
• Steel
• Guns
• Germs
Document 1 on Indian population charts will help you see the rate
of decline among the native populations
THE COLUMBIAN
EXCHANGE
The Columbian Exchange
Just in case you weren’t sure:
• The Columbian Exchange
is the name given to the
transfer of goods between
the “New World” and the
“Old World”
Columbian Exchange Activity
• The front of the room is the new world and the back of the
room is the old world.
• That means the desks are the ocean…watch out for sharks.
• You and your team will get a pile of notecards. Your job is
to place each notecard in the region that RECEIVED IT in
the Columbian Exchange
• Grab some masking tape…
• Feel free to argue with other groups if you think they put
the notecard in the wrong place
• DON’T LOOK AT THE READING FROM LAST NIGHT!
Columbian Exchange Discussion
• Let’s check the notecards…
• Which ones benefitted the “world” that received them,
which ones hurt?
• BIG QUESTION:
• Which “world” benefitted the most from the
Columbian Exchange? Why?
Reminder about Friday
• We are having a debate on Friday on: “Was Disease the Key
Factor in the Depopulation of Native Americans?”
• You have been assigned a reading that either answers yes or
no (and therefore you have been assigned a position)
• Please read the reading and take notes that include
EVIDENCE to support your answer and to argue against the
other side.
• If you could not write on your packet and then return it to me on Friday
to use next year, I would really appreciate it!
• Debates are graded on the argumentation skills we are working
on:
• Your ability to form a historical argument
• Your ability to use evidence to support your argument