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PLP 2000 Lecture 20: The Columbian Exchange

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Separate Worlds ~10-15,000 years

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Exploration

Requirements Technology Motivation

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China

Fall of Mongolian Empire Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Hongwu Emperor

Rebuilds agricultural base, leads to surpluses Yongle Emperor

Builds foreign trade & tribute

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Zheng He

Admiral under Yongle Emperor Tasked with voyages to Establish Chinese influence Control trade Expand tributary territories

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Zheng Hes Fleets

48-347 ships per voyage Treasure ships Equine ships Supply ships Troop transports War ships Patrol boats Water tankers

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Voyages of Zheng He

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Technological Edge

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Regime Change

1424 Death of Yongle Emperor Succeeding Emperors halt exploration Fiscal responsibility Barbarian nations have little to offer Conservative ideals

Improper to travel abroad while parents are alive

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European Trade

Imports from China Spices Silk Tea Porcelain

Exports to China Gold, Silver

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The Silk Road

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European Competition

Portugal Spain France England Netherlands

Europe in 1500, from euratlas.net

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Colonialism

Find a place with rich resources and weak defenses

Conquer Colonize Collect

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Columbus

Goal: Reach resource-rich location in Asia Subdue the residents Establish governorship Get rich

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Columbuss Voyage

A slight error in calculation, Circumference of earth Eratosthenes (200s BC) 250,000 stadia (~correct)

Al-Farghn (Alfraganus) (800s CE) 1 = 56 2/3 miles (~correct) Arabic mile = 1830 m

Columbus: Earth = 30,200 km at equator Used Roman mile, not Arabic

Actual value: 40,000 km

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Columbuss Voyage

A slight error in calculation, Size of Eurasia Various estimates, 180-225 Columbus believed 225 estimate

Eurasia would cover almost 2/3 of planet!

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Search for a Sponsor

1485, John II of Portugal: Rejected. Kings experts advised that Columbuss

estimates were too short

1488, John II of Portugal: Rejected. Dias had just successfully rounded

southern tip of Africa

Genoa, Venice, England

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Isabella & Ferdinand

Marriage united Spanish kingdoms Fervent Christian Battling the Moors

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A Deal is Reached

Columbuss Demands 10% of all profits Title of Chief Admiral of the Ocean Sea Hereditary power: Viceroy & Governor

over all lands claimed

Item, that of all and every kind of merchandise, whether pearls, precious tones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever, of whatever kind, name and sort, which may be bought, bartered, discovered, acquired and obtained within the limits of the said Admiralty, Hour Highnesses grant from now henceforth to the said Don Cristbal, and will that he may have and take for himself, the tenth part of the whole

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Hunting Treasures

Goals: Spices (Pepper, Ginger, Cloves) Gold, precious metals, gems Silk, ivory, luxuries

Discoveries: No spices, except unknown chili (pepper) Little gold No silk or luxury items Slaves (but most did not survive)

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Columbian Exchange

Europe/Asia/Africa Wheat, Rice, Barley, Millet,

Oat, Rye Banana Sugar Cane Apple, Pear, Peach, Fig Almond, Pistachio, Walnut Carrot, Okra, Onion, Pea,

Radish, Turnip Coffee, Tea Citrus Hemp Wine Grape

Americas Potato Maize (Corn) Peanut Tomato Beans, Squash Avocado, Guava,

Papaya Cashew Peppers Cacao (Chocolate) Cotton (long staple) Rubber Vanilla

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Potato

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Tomato

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Maize

Moisture requirement between rice & wheat

7.3M calories/ha (vs. wheat 4.2M)

Human & Livestock

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Colonization & Exchange

From Old World to New World Horses, cattle, sheep

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Quiz #1 Before the Columbian Exchange,

which of the following foods was impossible to make anywhere in the world? A. Peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread B. Pork with apple sauce C. Rice cakes with banana D. Salsa (tomato & chili peppers)

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Unintentional Exchanges Human Pathogens

Old World to New Smallpox Measles Whooping cough Malaria Chicken pox Yellow fever Bubonic plague Typhus Influenza

New World to Old Syphilis

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Disease & Conquest

Hernn Corts 1519, Sent in to mainland to find

riches 16 horsemen, 400 soldiers Arrived, announced change of

plans Established town, self as leader Dismantled fleet Set out to conquer Aztecs

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Corts, ctd. 3-Month journey Warm welcome turned sour. Took Moctezuma captive, demanded

ransom Left to fight Velasquezs troops

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Corts, ctd.

Returned to mayhem. Troops massacred unarmed crowd Massive uprising Moctezuma killed Corts forced to retreat

2 Years later Corts stages successful siege

What was different? Smallpox.

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Clearing the Way

Disease spread faster than colonists ~90% Mortality of native populations

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Malice Aforethought Smallpox as a Biological Weapon

1763 Pontiacs Rebellion Chief Pontiac (Ottowa) Jeffry Amherst (British General)

- Col. Henry Bouquet, 13 July 1763

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Hitchhiking on Dinner

Plant diseases on the move

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Plant Pathogens

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Late Blight of Potato and the Irish Potato Famine

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The Late Blight Years

1845, 1846, 1848 Wet years Near total crop loss

1845-1860 More than 1,000,000 died 1,500,000 emigrated

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Phytophthora infestans the most famous fungus in the history of the world

Stramenopile (Oomycete, water mold) Fungus-like Related to algae Produce swimming spores

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Late Blight

Pathogen Center of Origin in Andes High diversity of potatoes High diversity of pathogen Disease is present, but not disastrous

Moved to Europe on Potatoes Low diversity of potatoes Epidemic

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Food Production & Demographics

Both land masses get more domesticated crops More resources Increased carrying capacity

But New World populations decimated by Old World Diseases Long-term increase in population, not the

same people!

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Quiz #2

Most exchanges of pathogens were entirely unintentional. However, in at least one documented case, it appears that British officers deliberately attempted to spread _____ among Native Americans by giving them contaminated blankets. A. Malaria B. Syphilis C. Measles D. Smallpox