ANIMALS
The export of America's native animals has not revolutionized Old World agriculture or ecosystems as much as the introduction of European animals to the New World did. The natives had the camel, dog, fowl, and guinea pig before the Columbian Exchange and as a result they often did their own hard labor.
In 1943, during Columbus's second voyage, he brought:
- Horses
- Cows
- Oxen
- Sheep
- Pigs
- Rats
When the animals were brought to the Americas, new means of transportation, labor form, and food source were introduced. The animals thrived on rich wild life because they were rarely plagued by disease which was good for the natives.
Horses were very common in Europe and were brought on the voyage because it was an essential part of their lives even though it was not an easy task due to their size. Horses allowed the Native Americans follow the buffalo herds making getting food easier and often preventing starvation. Horses were also able to help transport larger supplies faster. They allowed many Native Americans to abandon agriculture in favor of a nomadic lifestyle.
Cows were both domestic and wild. The cattle were killed for their hides and meat. Cattle were one of the biggest assets for the New World due to their exports in meat and hides, they were sent back to Europe and sold. Sadly, they destroyed crops due to trampling and grazing, but they did provided the explorers with the nourishment they needed.
the oxen when combined with the plow made it possible to bring more land into cultivation and made transportation easier and more efficient.
Sheep had a harder time multiplying due to the fact that they were more vulnerable to predators. They were rarely seen running wild because they had trouble protecting themselves. Sheep and their wool were the basis for America's first factories.
Swine herds were found everywhere in the New World due to the fact that they multiplied fast and as a result were often served as meat to the explorers. They basically remade the food supply. The pigs were a bit different from today, resembling wild boars.
The black rat was brought from the Old World by mistake. They would hide away and go across the colonial ports. The rats carried diseases such as the bubonic plague and typhus that plagued the colonists with disease.
There was an exchange of animals from the New World to the Old World as well. Explorers brought back llamas, alpacas, turkeys, and guinea pigs to Europe but they did not have as much of an impact compared to the New World.