The Columbian Exchange & Ecological Imperialism Flashcards
Fall of Constantinople
interrupted European trade - stoped the trade from the silk road
there was a search for a new route to asia
What was the age of Discovery?
ships tried sailing around Africa, and west to Asia, Spanish and Pourtugise bumped into North America in the process
High mortality rates, many ships sunk
British colonized 13 first states and Hudson’s bay watershed
Borders were not set, shifted with wars, power, millitary, diplomacy
What did the Europeans think of NA?
Dissapointed that it wasn’t Asia
they thought it was free land to take
there was an abundance of resourses
NW passage
the search for a route to Asia through NA
Colonialism
Establishment of colonies or settlements, for economic exploitation.
settlers in a new land still maintaining political allegiance to their country of origin
people settled where it was advantageous, near rivers or resourses.
Imperialism
how one country exercises power over another country/territory by expanding their territory and influencing people.
What was the columbian Exchange?
transfer of plants, animals, diseases, ideas from east to west
Portmanteau Biota
What was Siphilis?
it was a STD that was passed through bodily fluids and was brought back on ships to Europe from North America.
it killed 5 million people
key point: diseases traveled both ways.
80-95% of indigenous population died in the first 150 years from novel pathogens.
Origin of Pathogens
came from human interactions with animals
What is a crowd disease?
in order for a disease to spread, you need a large amount of people to sustain the pathogen.
In the Americas, Cuso & Tenocititlan were the biggest cities
What was Pox Americana?
1775-1782
a cross contenental epidemic of small pox - started in Tenochititan and went up to the great slave lake in Canada
lead to declining populations, and starvation. It interupted food production
Trans Atlantic slave trade
Involuntary migration of 11.7 million people from west Africa to the Americas
worked in sugar plantations
What are weeds?
can by any type of plant that is out of place and unwanted
deep roots to get water, thrive in all areas
they outcompete delibrately planted crops
First weed to arrive in Canada is the dandilion
Animal exchange to the Americas
Domestic animals brought over went wild and adapted to their environment
Domestic animals provided settlers with meat, eggs, dairy and muscle power
because they had a short lifespan, they could adapt to their environments faster.
some accidental animals came over: rats, bees, cats, dogs
Horses & Horse power
Introduced by the spanish in mexico, they escaped and fled to the Canadian praries
indigenous people learned how to hunt bison with them
