Question

Christopher Columbus did both good and bad things. You need to pick a side, no middle ground, and explain whether or not Columbus's discovery of America was good or bad. Provide examples to support your position. There is no right or wrong answer, just your opinion, but you need evidence as support. In order to get full credit, I need to see effort put into your answer. If you need to, go look in the book. It is in Topic 1 Lesson 3. You may also apply how his discovery has impacted us throughout history. Good luck! I look forward to reading your responses.

a) Columbus's discovery was good, as it connected two worlds and led to cultural exchange.
b) Columbus's discovery was bad, as it initiated colonization and exploitation.
c) It was a mix of good and bad, depending on perspective.
d) Columbus's discovery had no significant impact on history.

Answer 1

Christopher Columbus's discovery of America connected two worlds and led to cultural exchange, known as the Columbian Exchange, which had both positive and negative effects.

Step-by-step explanation:

Christopher Columbus's discovery of America was good, as it connected two worlds and led to cultural exchange. The subsequent crop and animal exchange revolutionized the lifestyle of Europeans, Asians, and Africans. Historians refer to this process as the "Columbian Exchange." For example, it introduced commodities such as cattle, horses, sugar, tea, and coffee into the New World, while products like tobacco, potatoes, chocolate, corn, and tomatoes made their way from the New World into the Old World. However, it is important to note that not all exchanges were beneficial, as European diseases had devastating effects on the Native American populations.

Answer 2

Christopher Columbus's discovery of America had both positive and negative impacts, as it led to cultural exchange and revolutionized lifestyles through the introduction of new commodities, but also initiated colonization and exploitation and caused harm to the indigenous populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Christopher Columbus's discovery of America had both positive and negative impacts, and it is difficult to pick just one side without acknowledging the other. On one hand, Columbus's discovery connected two worlds and led to cultural exchange, which introduced new commodities and foods to Europe and Asia, such as cattle, horses, tea, coffee, tobacco, potatoes, chocolate, corn, and tomatoes. This exchange revolutionized the lifestyle of people in both the Old World and the New World. On the other hand, Columbus's arrival initiated colonization and exploitation, bringing about negative consequences for the indigenous populations, including depopulation due to European diseases like smallpox and influenza. These exchanges and conflicts shaped the course of history in both America and Europe.