America Before Columbus

This is the story of the Columbian Exchange, the greatest cultural exchange in history. The first part describes the Americas before Columbus. 100 million 'Indians' lived in organised communities. One example is the Cahokia tribe, who farmed, built cities and traded across North America. Their land was spacious and provided ample food.

The second part describes how Columbus' arrival influenced the Americas and how Europe itself benefitted. The introduction of European flora and fauna to America changed the landscape and diet forever. As the wild continent became a second Europe, the native population was devastated by smallpox and plague.