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The Problems of the Columbian Exchange
Not every part of the Columbian Exchange was positive. European people also brought diseases, like smallpox, to the Americas. The rats from European ships brought other diseases. Americans who caught these diseases died from them because they had no immunity—their bodies did not know how to fight off the germs. As many as 80 percent of the Native American population died from European diseases between 1492 and 1650.
This video shows another negative effect of the Columbian Exchange. Although the introduction of the potato to Europe improved the diet of its growing population, another import—a potato fungus—later caused many deaths.
Click on the left to watch the video.
Then, write two to four sentences describing how the potato affected (both helped and hurt) the Irish people.