#35327
Mentioned in 1 episodes
The Columbian exchange
Book • 1972
Published in 1972, Alfred W. Crosby's The Columbian Exchange examines the profound ecological and cultural impacts triggered by the encounter between the Old World (Eurasia and Africa) and the New World (the Americas) after 1492.
Crosby argues that the most significant consequences of this encounter were biological, involving the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases that reshaped global populations and environments.
The book highlights how diseases like smallpox devastated indigenous peoples, while crops such as maize and potatoes transformed Old World agriculture and demographics.
Crosby's work reframes history by emphasizing biology over military conquest as the key factor in European success in the Americas.
The book remains influential for its interdisciplinary approach and its lasting insights into global ecological history.
Crosby argues that the most significant consequences of this encounter were biological, involving the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases that reshaped global populations and environments.
The book highlights how diseases like smallpox devastated indigenous peoples, while crops such as maize and potatoes transformed Old World agriculture and demographics.
Crosby's work reframes history by emphasizing biology over military conquest as the key factor in European success in the Americas.
The book remains influential for its interdisciplinary approach and its lasting insights into global ecological history.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 1 episodes
Mentioned by Richard Jones when discussing Alfred Crosby's argument on Europe's economic dominance due to large domestic animals.
The problem with poo: a millennium of manure
