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Period: Jan 1, 1400 to
Plants
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Oct 12, 1492
Tobacco
The discovery of tobacco by Columbus made a huge impact on the geography and economy of Europe. Trade between the New World and Old World increased drastically and economy changed overtime.
Source: http://academic.udayton.edu/health/syllabi/tobacco/history.htm -
Sep 1, 1493
Cotton
After discovering the Americas, Columbus also encountered cotton growing in the Bahamas. His discovery resulted in the introduction of cotton to the Europeans, later increasing trade between the two regions. Cotton made major influences on the material of clothing and the presence of slaves.
Source: https://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/ -
Oct 3, 1493
Sugarcane
On his second voyage, Columbus introduced sugarcane to the Americans for the hope of better trade. The addiction to sugarcane caused a major boost in Europe's economy. Eventually, this crop became a very dependent and significant plant in the New World.
Source: http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/voyage-2.htm -
Jan 1, 1528
Cacao
Back to Spain, Hernan Cortes introduced cacao beans to the Spanish population, which he brought back from the Americas. The Europe's addiction to chocolate desserts allowed major trade with the Americas. This ultimately created trade routes and econmic benefits between the two continents.
Source: https://www.cadbury.com.au/About-Chocolate/Discovering-Chocolate.aspx -
Jan 1, 1550
Maize
Many explorers and traders returning from the New World brought maize (corn) back from the Americas. Maize caused an important change in the European culture. Eventually, corn became a common and influential crop in the Old World.
Source: http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/voyage-2.htm -
Potatoes
After his expeditions in the Americas, Sir Walter Raleigh brought back potato seeds to Europe, mainly Ireland. Potatoes were an efficient and important crop in Ireland, allowing the population to boom. Overtime, families began to grow and were mainly dependent on potatoes for nutrition.
source: https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm -
Banana
During the Colombian Exchange, bananas were traded from Africa to the Americas through vast trade routes. Bananas flourished throughout the Caribbean and Brazil, eventually becoming a major cash crop. Not only did bananas boost the trade between Africa and the Americas, it also provided a sufficient amount of nutrition for large populations.
Source: http://cwh.ucsc.edu/bananas/Site/Early%20History%20of%20the%20Banana.html -
Rice
Rice was brought to the New World by Spanish and Portuguese explorers/traders. Because rice is an adaptive plant, it was a successful plant in the dry climates of Central America.
Source: http://www-plb.ucdavis.edu/labs/rost/Rice/introduction/intro.html
