In his attempt to find a shorter route to Asia, Christopher Columbus inadvertently discovered the Americas or the “new world.” Although he was ignorant of the new lands he has discovered, Columbus’s voyage remains one of the most significant in human history. His delivery of the America led to the exploration of the new lands in pursuit of gold and glory, which ultimately led to the colonization of the Americas by European super powers. Contact between the Europeans and American natives produced some long-lasting consequences that altered the development of the American continent. It was characterized by both positive and negative consequences.
Columbus’ voyage is mainly associated with the negative consequences it had on the new world. One of the most notable negative consequences of Columbus’s voyage was the introduction of new diseases to the new world. The voyage brought together two separate worlds that had had no contact for thousands of years. The new world and Europeans had developed different disease histories. Some of the diseases that the Europeans introduced to the new world include measles, bubonic plaque, small pox, diphtheria and influenza (Mann, 2012). Europeans had developed immunities against these disease, but Native Americans were vulnerable since these disease was new to them. These diseases decimated the populations of the new world. The only disease that the Europeans contacted from the natives was syphilis, whose impacts were not far-reaching compared to those of European diseases. These diseases contributed to the collapse of American civilizations because its populations collapsed.
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The other negative impact of his discovery was the ensuing colonization of the Americas by Europeans. The wealth found in the new world attracted other Europeans powers. The arrival of large quantities of gold and silver in Europe motivated other countries to explore the mew world, leading to colonization. The Portuguese, French, Dutch, and the Spanish sought colonial territories in the new world. The ultimate impact of colonization was the cultures of Native Americans were wiped out by Europeans (Schlesinger, 2007) .
Columbus’s voyage also contributed to the development of the institution of slavery. His voyage coincided with an era when international slave trade was gaining prominence. Columbus introduced forced labor in the new world as he sought to use the native to gain profits. They were forced to work in gold mines and plantations, leading to the death of many natives. He even took some natives as presences to the royals when he returned to Spain after his first voyage to the new world. The depopulation of the native population due to European diseases contributed to the decision by Europeans to import and enslave Africans to work in plantations and mines in the Americas. Therefore, one of the results of cumulus’s voyage was the massive international trade in humans. More than 10 million Africans were forcefully removed from Africa and taken to the new world (Mann, 2012). However, the wealth generated from America’s natural resources and slave labor only benefited Europeans, while Native Americans were destroyed.
Although Columbus’s discovery of the new world has significant negative consequences, there are also positive consequences. The transplantation of plants and animals between the two continents increased the variety of plants and animals available for food. This factor contributed to the population boom that was witnessed in later years. In Europe, the common the perennial food shortages were solved by the introduction of new crops from the Americas. These plants include maize, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili among others. On the other hand, Native Americans benefits from the introduction of European animals. Compared to the new world, Europe and Asia had more domesticated animals including goats, chicken, horses, pigs, cattle and sheep. Native Americans adopted these animals for their meat and milk.
Another positive consequence of Columbus’s discovery was the role it played in scientific advancement. His voyage triggered the development of advanced navigation techniques and systems that facilitated more exploration of the world (Mann, 2012). Medicine from the new world did not make a huge impact in Europe due to European conservatism and skepticism. However, cinchona was widely used leading to the discovery of quinine. The new drug was important in treating malaria, which in turn facilitated European colonization the Americas and Africa.
The voyage also contributed to the expansion of knowledge. Before Columbus discovered the new world, European philosophers and early scientist based their knowledge on logic, whose foundation was categories. Explorers to the new world came with new specimens and reports of phenomena that deviated from the categories that European scholars were used to (Schlesinger, 2007) . These new reports and specimens compelled scientists to shift from logical investigation to observation. This led to the development techniques to measure, record and arrange the new information and specimens.
In conclusion, Columbus’s voyage initiated a series of events that altered the history of humanity. It can argued that the negative consequences outweighed the positive consequences due to the introduction of diseases that decimated native population, and also the demise of Native American culture. However, the discovery of the new world by Columbus led to the creation of an interdependent world. He sowed the seeds of globalization. In the aftermath of hos voyage, people from different parts of the world moved to the Americas, leading to the creation of new countries with unique identities. Without Columbus’s discovery, great nations such as the United States would be non-existent. Therefore, his voyage was beneficial to the Americas and humanity as a whole.
References
Mann, C. C. (2012). 1493: Uncovering the new world Columbus created . New York: Vintage Books.
Schlesinger, R. (2007). In the wake of Columbus: The impact of the New World on Europe, 1492-1650 . Wheeling, Ill: Harlan Davidson.
