Read all three pages of this online essay. As you do so, consider the following questions:

• What were the ecological and biological consequences of European colonization of the Americas?
• What impact did disease have on the Native American population?
• What impact did disease have on the European population?
• What are some of the lasting consequences of these events?

Alfred Crosby, ‘The Columbian Exchange: Plants, Animals, and Disease between the Old and New Worlds’, National Humanities Center, December 2001, pp. 1-3.

The ecological impacts of global exchange continue today. Do you know of any ecological impacts of global exchange in your home town/country? How have they impacted the environment? Are you aware of when this first became a problem? Share your comments on our course forum on Ecological Impacts of Global Exchange.