The discovery of America, and that of the passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope, are the two greatest events recorded in the history of [human] kind”—Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations, 1776. Think about why he and many other notables supported this statement, especially the discovery of America. What was so important about this New World across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe? How did it change globalization in terms of trade, culture, societies, innovations, old and new world exchanges, and in other ways?
Part 1:
1. Write a thesis statement that is one to two (1-2) sentences long in which you:
- State your thesis on how the discovery of America changed the world. Justify your response.
For the first part of this assignment, you will create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your main idea to the reader. The body of the essay organizes the material you gather and present in support of your main idea. Keep in mind that a thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.
Part 2:
For the next part of this assignment you will create an outline of the main points you want to address in this paper. This outline will serve as the basis for your Assignment 1.2 Final Draft.
2. Write a one to two (1-2) page outline in which you:
- Determine three (3) major aspects that demonstrate Old and New World exchanges.
- List five (5) specific groups that were affected by this event. Provide two (2) examples for each cohort describing how they were affected.
- List five (5) ways that the creation of new global trade routes affected the occupations and lifestyles of the average working American in the colonies.
- Use at least three (3) academic references besides or in addition to the textbook. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Answer preview
Native Americans were exposed to diseases which they were not immune against such as measles, smallpox, chicken pox, malaria, and influenza (Salisbury, 2017).
The Europeans were immune to these diseases from the Old World
The diseases contributed to massive deaths of the Native Americans
The decline in population brought by the exchange indirectly contributed to a shortage of labor in America
This led to the Europeans establishing a new form of labor which involved enslaving the Africans
The exchange also led to the introduction of new crop plants and animals
Sweet potatoes, white, maize, manioc, and potatoes, became essential diets of Europeans, Asians, and Africans while the people in the New World were also influenced by crop plants from the Old World such as wheat (Specht and Stockland, 2017).
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The discovery of America changed
