Columbus' exchanges

Definition

Columbus' exchanges refer to the interactions between Europeans and indigenous peoples of the Americas following Christopher Columbus's voyages. This period marked a significant exchange of people, plants, animals, diseases, ideas, and technologies between these two worlds.

Related terms

Cultural Diffusion: The spread or transmission of cultural elements (like customs or beliefs) from one society to another through contact or interaction.

Colonization: The process by which one group establishes control over another group or territory for economic exploitation or political dominance.

Columbian Exchange: Refers specifically to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture (including human populations), technology, diseases, and ideas between Afro-Eurasian hemispheres and the Americas following Columbus' voyages.