Consequences Of Contact

Carlos Moya

Professor Tuyay

History 100

1 September 2005

Consequences of Contact

When Columbus first set foot onto the new world it caused a ripple effect that stretched far back across the ocean to Ireland, Africa, Europe, and back again. Many cattle and horses brought from the old world to America broke free from their owners. They soon were running wild through the open plains of America. over the years wild horses multiplied and native Indians that noticed this took advantage of what the horse could offer them. With the horse Indians were able to hunt more efficiently, boosting their population.

The horse was not the only factor that was raising the population. Potatoes that native Indians of South America were growing changed the Irish way of life in the 1500's. This crop that was brought back by ship, was easy to grow in the dry conditions of the land in Ireland. One Irish family was able to live off a half acre of land. The population rose in Ireland and they were able live steady lives surviving on eating mostly potatoes. But in 1845 all the crops started to fail and the potato famine had hit Ireland. An estimated one million people died of starvation and another million Irish had to migrate to America to seek for a job and a better life.

In 1865, after the civil war in America, the people noticed that wild cattle had multiplied over the vast graze lands. During the war cattle were able to roam free because no one was able to raise them. So after the war the cowboy emerged. Their job was to round up the wild cattle so town farmers could start a life raising them. Cattle were able to be raised in mass production and brought back to Europe for their meat. another animal that roamed the great plains was the