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Difficulty: MediumThe Columbian Exchange

Source: Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Spanish chronicler, *Historia general y natural de las Indias* (*General and Natural History of the Indies*), 1535

"There were no cattle, nor sheep, nor goats, nor pigs in these Indies when they were discovered... but after the Spaniards settled, they brought these animals, which have multiplied in such numbers that it is a thing of wonder. The pigs, especially, have spread into the woods and mountains... and they have caused great damage to the native plants and the fields of the Indians, who have no fences to protect their crops."

Based on the passage, which of the following was a major consequence of the introduction of European livestock to the Americas?

  1. A
    A shift in European diets toward reliance on imported American livestock like cattle and pigs to solve domestic food shortages.
  2. The disruption of traditional Indigenous agricultural practices and local ecosystems.Answer
  3. C
    The Spanish crown's decision to dismantle the encomienda system and distribute European livestock directly to Indigenous laborers.
  4. D
    The uniform transition of all Indigenous groups across the Americas from sedentary farming to nomadic pastoralism.

Answer

The disruption of traditional Indigenous agricultural practices and local ecosystems.
The correct answer is correct because the introduction of Old World domestic animals, particularly free-roaming pigs and cattle, disrupted traditional Indigenous agricultural practices. Since Native Americans did not traditionally fence their fields, these invasive animals destroyed crops like maize and altered local plant life, leading to significant ecological changes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source passage by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo (1535).
Identify that the author is describing the introduction of European livestock (pigs, cattle, etc.) and their destructive effect on Native American crops due to the lack of fencing.
To ground the analysis in the provided historical stimulus.
2
Connect the multiplication of Old World animals in the Americas to the broader ecological and environmental impacts of the Columbian Exchange.
Determine that free-roaming livestock damaged unfenced indigenous cropland, disrupting traditional agricultural practices and changing the landscape.
To apply historical context and knowledge of Period 1 environmental changes to the options.
3
Evaluate the options to select the correct historical consequence.
Select the option stating that livestock disrupted traditional Indigenous agricultural practices and local ecosystems, while rejecting the others.
To identify the most historically accurate and supported consequence.

Key Concept

The ecological and environmental consequences of the Columbian Exchange, specifically the introduction of European livestock to the Americas.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

The Columbian Exchange

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