The History Cat: Age of Exploration: The Columbian Exchange

A fascinating look at the exchanges that took place around the world after the Americas were discovered. This covered the gamut from diseases which wiped out 90% of the native peoples in North and South America, to farm animals, tools, and especially crops. Foods such as potatoes and corn drastically changed the farming cultures of other countries, even in Africa. Other people became very rich from plantations but this caused the slave trade to thrive, and the sugar trade. Tobacco was another product that developed into a significant export to Europe.