What Effect Did European Colonization Have on the Environment and Peoples

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Students should recognize the variety of plants, animals, and diseases that the Europeans transferred to the Americas. The new plants and animals had an enormous impact on the natural environment. Wheat, olives, grapes, rice, bananas, and sugar created a variety of dietary options. European livestock multiplied prolifically and destroyed lan d by overgrazing and trampling it with their hooves. Cattle and horses provided transportation and mobility in warfare, in addition to hides and meat. European settlement also transformed American societies. Christian institutions and European-style governments disrupted traditional Amerindian cultural and political processes, destroying them or at best suppressing them. Europeans also had a large economic impact. The Amerindian economic system was completely changed to suit the needs and demands of extracting mineral wealth or producing cash crops. Traditional forms of hunting and gathering and agriculture were disrupted, and Amerindians became dependent on European manufactured goods.

What Effect Did European Colonization Have on the Environment and Peoples

Definitions: