Final answer:
In 1972, the term "Columbian Exchange" was established by Alfred W. Crosby to identify the extensive trade and cultural interactions between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres that began after Columbus's voyages. It included the trade of goods, culture, and biological entities such as plants, animals, and diseases, significantly impacting the global economy and societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Columbian Exchange
In 1972, Alfred W. Crosby coined the term Columbian Exchange to describe the extensive trade and cultural exchange that took place between the eastern and Western Hemisphere following the voyages of Christopher Columbus. This monumental exchange included the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, cultural practices, and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Over time, it brought about significant changes in global economic systems, societies, and environments.
The Columbian Exchange was a crucial factor in the rise of globalization, creating a new interlinked world economy that solved the looming issues Europeans faced with the overland Silk Road. Instead of the costly and dangerous overland trade routes, the new transatlantic connections allowed for a more efficient means of global trade. It also acted as a conduit for the flow of culture, leading to transculturation—the blending of cultural elements between different peoples.
The Columbian Exchange is distinct from the Transatlantic Slave Trade, although the two are historically interconnected as part of the broader economic and cultural interactions within the Atlantic World.