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Difficulty: MediumThe Columbian Exchange

Source: José de Acosta, Spanish missionary, *Natural and Moral History of the Indies*, 1590.

"The Spaniards have introduced into the Indies all kinds of European plants, and they have succeeded better there than Indian plants have in Europe... But what is more admirable is the great abundance of European animals: sheep, cows, goats, pigs, and horses. These have multiplied in such numbers that in many places they roam wild... providing an abundance of meat and leather where none existed before."

Which of the following was a major consequence in the Americas of the process described in the excerpt?

  1. The ecological disruption of native landscapes and the transformation of Indigenous mobility and warfareAnswer
  2. B
    The creation of the encomienda system as a legal framework to grant ownership of wild livestock herds directly to Indigenous communities
  3. C
    The widespread cultivation of Old World crops like maize and potatoes to feed the rapidly growing herds of wild European animals
  4. D
    The consolidation of all Indigenous groups into a single, uniform nomadic culture centered around pastoral herding

Answer

The ecological disruption of native landscapes and the transformation of Indigenous mobility and warfare
The correct answer is correct because the introduction of European livestock dramatically altered the physical environment of the Americas (e.g., through overgrazing and landscape change) and transformed the social and military structures of various Native American tribes, particularly through the introduction of the horse, which greatly increased mobility and altered warfare patterns.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document
The source document by José de Acosta describes the introduction of European plants and animals (like sheep, cattle, and horses) to the Americas (the Columbian Exchange) and notes how they multiplied rapidly.
Understanding the core historical process described in the text is necessary to evaluate its consequences.
2
Evaluate the choices against historical evidence regarding the Columbian Exchange
The introduction of livestock caused overgrazing and altered native ecosystems, while horses revolutionized transportation and warfare for groups like the Plains Indians. Other choices contain errors regarding the direction of crop exchange, the nature of the encomienda system, or assume a false homogeneity among Native Americans.
Comparing options against factual knowledge of Period 1 (1491–1607) history allows for the elimination of incorrect choices.

Key Concept

The Columbian Exchange
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Topics

The Columbian Exchange

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