In 1–2 sentences, use one of the primary sources discussed in this lesson to create an argument about the significance of the Columbian Exchange and the transatlantic slave system to European expansion.

Answer 1

The Columbian Exchange facilitated the transfer of crops, livestock, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds, which significantly boosted European economies and populations, while the transatlantic slave system provided a crucial labor force for the extraction of resources in the Americas, thereby underpinning the expansion of European powers and their colonial empires. Together, these systems not only transformed global trade but also laid the groundwork for the social and economic structures of modern Western societies.