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Difficulty: MediumThe Columbian Exchange

Source: Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Spanish chronicler, *General and Natural History of the Indies*, 1535

"Of the animals of Europe, there are now so many cows, horses, and especially pigs, that they have spread over all the islands and the mainland. These beasts have multiplied to such an extent that they run wild, and they have caused great damage to the native peoples. The herds of cattle and horses destroy the crops of maize and cassava which the Indians plant for their sustenance, as the Indians do not have fences to protect their fields."

Which of the following environmental or social changes in the Americas was a direct result of the developments described in the excerpt?

  1. The disruption of traditional Indigenous agricultural practices and subsistence patterns due to the roaming of European livestock.Answer
  2. B
    The rapid adoption of maize and cassava cultivation by European settlers as their primary export crops to Spain.
  3. C
    The establishment of the encomienda system to regulate the ownership of domestic livestock herds.
  4. D
    The unification of highly diverse Indigenous societies into a single political alliance to resist European pastoralism.

Answer

The disruption of traditional Indigenous agricultural practices and subsistence patterns due to the roaming of European livestock.
The correct answer is correct because the introduction of European livestock (cows, horses, pigs) drastically altered the physical environment and disrupted Indigenous agricultural systems. Since Native Americans did not build fences to enclose their fields of maize and cassava, free-roaming European animals destroyed native crops, threatening their food supply and forcing changes in their subsistence patterns.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical context of the source.
The excerpt is from 1535, describing the rapid multiplication of European domestic animals (cows, horses, pigs) in the Americas and their destructive impact on Indigenous crops (maize, cassava) due to the lack of fences.
Understanding the source's time period and core observation helps link the ecological exchange to its direct consequences.
2
Evaluate how the introduction of European livestock affected Indigenous environments and societies.
European animals roamed freely and trampled or consumed Indigenous crops, which disrupted traditional farming methods and food supplies, leading to environmental alteration and social stress.
This identifies the ecological transformation that occurred when Old World animals were integrated into New World agricultural landscapes.
3
Assess the options to determine which represents a historical consequence matching the source's description.
The option concerning the disruption of traditional Indigenous agriculture is correct because it directly aligns with the chronicler's description of livestock destroying unfenced fields of crops.
This confirms the correct option while eliminating distractors that misunderstand the direction of the exchange flow, the nature of Spanish labor systems, or the diversity of Indigenous groups.

Key Concept

The Columbian Exchange
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The Columbian Exchange

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