Nate+Rodrick+editorial

Columbian Exchange Editorial By Nate Rodrick Many people fail to see the negative effects that the Columbian Exchange has on America. These negative ways include diseases that were brought from the old world, all the natives that were killed, and the infiltration of weeds. When Christopher Columbus came to America, he brought with him diseases like small pox that killed over half of the Indian population. These diseases spread all across America and since the natives were never exposed to these diseases they were not immune to them. The seeds and plants that he brought with him contained weeds that when planted, spread and choked out the good vegetation and crops. This in turn, made farming difficult, overtaking the crops and the natives eventually lost control of their harvests. As you can see, the Columbian Exchange had many negative effects on America which are still evident today, even as it affected the lives of innocent natives.