The Impact of European Expansion

The impact of European Expansion was both negative and positive. It was positive culturally, but negative economically and socially. European expansion opened up a whole new world to Europeans and to other that also encountered it along the way. This event helps better the world in many different ways and all these changes where for the best.

The expansion effect on Europe's culture was positive, as it changed their diet for the good. "Before the European discovery of the Americas, sugar was a luxury product that only the wealthy could afford"(Kagan), when sugar entered the western diet everything changed. They went from wheat, beer, lettuce, cabbage, turnip, onions and radish to sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, salt, corn and potatoes. This change improved health leading to a longer life span therefore making this cultural change positive. This new diet was varied creating a very healthy community.

The economic effect the expansion had on Europe wasn't so positive. The expansion created a price revolution. "As the production of sugar rose, the price fell"(Kagan). There was an increase in the amount of commodities, resources, precious gems and metals. There was a decline in the value of silver due to the increase of supply thus leading to increased inflation. The government's response to these changes was to increase taxation, to recoup revenue and these ideas soon led to bankruptcy.

The Americas were also affected by the expansion. The expansion's cultural effect was a cultural diffusion. 'Westerners developed the custom of ending a meal with dessert"(Kagan) ,Natives converted to Christianity, Catholicism, they changed their language to Spanish, Portuguese, used the horse in new ways (hunting and farming) and made new a colonial society, they had plantation estates, they mixed ethnicities, and created slave grants. They also maintained order by sharing 5% of the earnings with the Europeans.

The Expansion all together was an important event in history without it we would not have some of the little things we have today. This event effected Europe and the world both negatively and positively, but it improved it.