So What? Impacts of the Age of Exploration

The voyages of discovery changed the way Europeans thought of the world and their place in it. The explorations brought new knowledge about geography and proved some old beliefs wrong. For example, Europeans learned that the Americas were a separate landmass from Asia. Geographers made more accurate maps that reflected this new knowledge. Improved mapmaking also helped shape a new European worldview. For the first time Europeans could see maps of the whole world. They saw new lands and possible trade routes. By controlling the trade routes and the resources in the new lands, they might gain great wealth. Voyages of discovery brought the beginning of a new period in which Europeans would spread their influence around the world.

Figure 5.1: This graphic lists the different goods involved in the Columbian Exchange.

One of the major revolutions that came about from the Age of Exploration is the Columbian Exchange. Named after the man whose discovery made it all possible, the Columbian Exchange created a whole new world. Plants and animals that had only existed on one continent were now being grown and bred on a completely different continent. For instance, the Europeans brought over plants such as onions and oranges along with new animals like cows and horses. Even sugarcane, which originates in Asia, quickly thrived in the Americas due to the humid climate. The Europeans also encountered new plants and animals. Staple food items such as potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, and even chocolate quickly became popular in European cuisine. These were not the only items exchanged between cultures. Some of the biggest cultural changes Europeans brought to places they conquered were in religion and language. Christians set out around the globe to convert the native people. Many people were baptized while in some places, their religion blended with native traditions to create new kinds of religious practices. In addition to spreading Christianity, missionaries often ran schools. It was here they taught cultural customs and European languages such as Spanish or Portuguese, hoping to “westernize” the native population.

With the positives in mind, one must recognize there were some negative consequences as well. One of the worst parts of the Columbian Exchange was the spread of disease throughout the world. For instance, Columbus did not merely bring back new goods and information but diseases like syphilis as well. The impact of disease was felt much more by the native populations. With their arrival came diseases never before seen in America. Outbreaks of smallpox and measles ravaged the colonies. Hundreds of thousands of people contracted the diseases and well over half of the native population was wiped out in the years following the European colonization. This was a level of devastation never before seen and made the oppression of locals that much easier.

Figure 5.2: This graphic explains the basic principles of mercantilism. 

The other major effect came with the introduction of an economic system called mercantilism—a system in which a government controls all economic activity in a country and its colonies to make the government stronger and richer. Mercantilism was the main economic policy in Europe between the 16^th and 18^th centuries. To stay rich, European countries tried to export more goods than they imported. The relationship of goods imported to goods exported is known as a country’s balance of trade. The colonies played a key role in this balance of trade. Believing that colonies existed to help the ruling country, Europeans did not let colonies trade with other countries. They did not want their colonies’ money going to other nations. European countries also used their colonies to acquire raw materials such as wood, furs, cotton, and dyes. This way they did not have to buy raw materials from competing countries. In addition, they did not allow their colonies to manufacture goods. This way the country could take raw materials from their colonies and sell the manufactured goods back to them, making the colonies were good for the European countries’ balance of trade.

The Age of Exploration was much more than the quest for new trade routes. Little did those explorers know that their actions would change the world forever. The world as we know it would not be the same without them. It is through these efforts that new nations have formed and grown their own identities. With countries like Spain, Portugal, England, and France sailing all over the globe they enabled future generations to become part of an interconnected world with distinct cultures but shared history.