Impact of Global Interaction to America and Africa - Essay Example

The Spanish created one of the biggest empires in Europe by conquering the Americas. They were able to do so because of their advanced military and naval technology compared with the natives’. The natives didn’t have exposure to the viral or bacterial diseases the Spanish had with them this led to their dead in large numbers. The locals who resisted their rule were captured and sold as slaves in plantations (Todorov 30).

The main reason for the European invasion of Africa in the fifteenth to the seventeenth century was trade and specifically human trade. By this time most of Africa’s traditional institutions were unaffected. Trade between the European and Africans led to the development of towns in the coastal regions. The Africans were also introduced to commodities like salt, weapons and clothes. The Dutch were the first to establish permanent colonies around1652 in South Africa. Later in the nineteenth century, European explorers discovered that Africa contained exploitable resources like gold, silver, iron and was fertile for agricultural production. This led to the Scramble of Africa.

There was an exchange of ideas, values and practices as a result of trade and colonization. Missionaries had an important role to play in the integration of European culture into Africa and the Americas. The colonization of Africa and the Americas led to the introduction of Christianity to these societies. The people were forced to abandon their cultural practices since they were considered primitive. There was the introduction of formal education. The natives were taught the languages of their colonial master, arithmetic and science (Cowen 145).

The political systems of the Americas and African communities were disregarded. The Europeans also made boundaries that divided communities and even families. The natives were forced to accept the rule of their conquerors and pay taxes which were usually oppressive.

The other consequence of European conquest was the ecological destruction of the Indies and Africa. The settlers cut down the indigenous plants and trees to create land for the establishment of large plantations for growing crops like sugarcane. They also introduced animals not indigenous to the area like pigs, cattle, mules, sheep and horses destroying the fertile environment. The Europeans also established mines to meet the demand for minerals and metals.

There are however some positive consequences to the European conquest like the introduction of advanced agricultural practices to the conquered areas ensuring an increase in food production. The Europeans also came with advanced communication and transportation media like the railway and telegraph that were previously not available. There was the introduction of medicine that reduced the incidence of death like the invention of quinine to cure malaria. Read More