Recap
In the last breakdown, we discussed what the Columbian Exchange actually was.
It was defined as the widespread transfer of plants, animals, ideas, diseases and people between
Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
While that breakdown was made to give you an idea of what the Columbian Exchange was, we cannot
ignore the colossal impact this had on the Native Americans.
Where the Natives came from
The first people believed to come to the Americas were originally thought to be the Clovis people. These are the Asians who travelled over the Bering Land Bridge. This is the small gap between Russia and Alaska that was believed
to be completely frozen.
No, America was not uninhabited before the Clovis people arrived (pre-Clovis people). However, we
recognize the Clovis people as the first here since there is the most evidence to confidently make that
claim. Archeological evidence shows that 13,000 years ago they were the first to migrate to the Americas.
While the Clovis culture was once believed to be the first in the Americas, evidence now suggests earlier migrations—called pre-Clovis peoples—may have arrived thousands of years before.
While the Clovis people themselves disappeared, they carried their tools and ways of life throughout the
continent, and very quickly spread to make the Americas their home. Their ways set the tone of life for
their descendants thousands of years into the future.
The thousands of years after that initial migration, groups broke off and formed into the many different
tribes we learn about today when referencing the pre-Columbus era.
European Arrival
When Columbus arrived, he thought he was in India, which is why he labeled the Natives as Indians.
There is controversy with that label, but that’s what happened. The name ended up sticking because the
other explorers simply followed suit.
As Columbus and other early explorers interacted with the Natives, they immediately thought of the Natives as
uncivilized. Remember, Columbus expected to stumble upon developed cities with a society that was
much more similar to theirs.
The surprise of the Natives’ way of life made the Europeans see the Natives as inferior and in need of
“gentrification”.
Immediate Troubles
As soon as Europeans touched American soil, enslavement began. It’s documented in his journal
that Columbus immediately took a few dozen Natives because he thought they’d be “good servants”
(History). Thousands more were later enslaved or died under him.
History states, “Columbus enacted policies of forced labor in which natives were put to work for the sake of
profits. Later, Columbus sent thousands of peaceful Taino ‘Indians’ from the island of Hispaniola to Spain to
be sold. Many died en route.”
These practices were adopted by most Europeans. The primary purpose for coming to the Americas was to
find resources and gain wealth. The Natives were immediately pinned as cheap labor, and exploited for as long
as they could be.
Fighting Back
We usually only hear about the Europeans dominating, but did the Natives fight back? Absolutely they did.
While some cooperated and tried to keep the peace, other Natives fought back violently. The different
tribes created alliances and worked together to fight back every way they knew how.
Unfortunately, the foreign diseases gave the Europeans a huge advantage.
Disease
As discussed in the last breakdown, the Europeans brought a slew of diseases to the Americas that
massacred the Natives.
Diseases include measles, tuberculosis, smallpox, influenza, whooping cough, malaria, and more.
These illnesses took such a toll that 50-90% of Natives were taken out from illnesses alone depending on the
area.
Between the illnesses and sheer brutality, the Native population dropped intensely. In some regions, like the Caribbean and what’s now Mesoamerica, entire communities were wiped out within decades. In others, such as the North American interior, waves of disease spread over the following centuries.
Most Native deaths throughout the decades of European exploration were a direct result of these illnesses.
Decrease in Natives; Increase in Europeans
Before the Americas were crossed, there were millions of Native Americans. The population severely
decreased after the European establishment. It is estimated that around 55 million/90% of all Natives died in the decades of European domination.
- Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492
- The first permanent European city in the Americas (North and South) was Santo Domingo in 1496, in the Caribbean by Spaniards – first in The Americas but started in the Caribbean.
- The first major city in the Americas by the Spaniards was Veracruz, Mexico – established in 1519
- The first permanent settlement in North America was St. Augustine in 1565 by the Spaniards again - which is now modern-day Florida
- First permanent English settlement was then Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 – North AmericanIMPORTANT NOTE: Please remember that when the term “The Americas” is used, it is referencing both North and South America. The “discovery” of the Americas by Christopher Columbus started in South America – the Caribbean
These settlements were the start of the devastation of Natives, and the control of the Americas.
But that control eventually started to slip…
It Wasn’t All Bad
Although the arrival of Europeans brought immense tragedy to Native populations, it also began a cultural exchange that reshaped both sides in lasting ways. Some of the tools, animals, and technologies introduced to the Americas had major benefits that certain Native groups adapted to their advantage.
The introduction of horses, as stated, completely transformed life for many tribes, especially across the Great Plains. Horses made hunting, travel, and trade far more efficient and expanded communication and connection between distant groups.
New crops such as wheat and sugarcane, along with domesticated animals like pigs and cows, gave some Native communities access to new food sources and forms of labor that reshaped their agriculture.
European contact also brought new materials and ideas. Metal tools, textiles, and weapons — though often introduced through trade or conflict — eventually became vital resources for farming, building, and defending territory. These new technologies helped some Native groups strengthen their societies and compete with rival tribes.
Beyond material exchange, the Europeans’ arrival marked the beginning of shared learning between cultures. Art, music, religious concepts, and even early forms of diplomacy began to blend across the Atlantic world. Over time, these exchanges — while uneven — contributed to shaping a new and complex identity across the Americas.
So while much of this period was defined by loss and exploitation, it was also a moment of immense transformation. The Natives were not only victims of history — they were participants in a vast exchange that, in some ways, expanded their world and introduced opportunities for adaptation, growth, and resilience.
It’s also worth noting that many Europeans genuinely believed they were bringing progress, faith, and knowledge to new lands. Their advancements in navigation, art, science, and philosophy carried ideas that would one day influence education, government, and culture throughout the Western Hemisphere. While their methods were often flawed, their drive to explore, discover, and connect the world helped spark a new global era that forever changed human history.
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Resources
https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2014/marchapril/feature/the-first-americans
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2012/jul/native-american-populations-descend-three-key-migrations
https://www.history.com/articles/columbus-day-controversy
https://people.umass.edu/hist383/class%20notes/european%20pathogens.htm
https://brycchancarey.com/slavery/chrono2.htm
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/native-americans-colonial-america
https://www.communitycommons.org/entities/5881b499-5621-4cec-916b-05f9e79bfec7
AI assisted in editing
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