Columbian exchange

The Great Plant Swap

A long time ago, after Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492, people started sharing plants, animals, and ideas between two big parts of the world. These parts are called the Old World (which includes Europe, Africa, and Asia) and the New World (which includes North America and South America). This sharing is called the Columbian exchange.

Many yummy foods traveled across the oceans. From the New World, we got maize (also called corn), potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco. These foods became favorites all around the world. From the Old World, people brought rice, wheat, and sugar cane to the Americas. These new foods helped people grow more and live better.

Animals also moved between the two worlds. From the Old World, animals like cattle, horses, sheep, and chickens arrived in the Americas. These animals changed how people farmed and traveled. From the New World, the turkey became a new friend for people in Europe.

The Columbian exchange started when a writer named Alfred W. Crosby wrote a book in 1972. His book explained how these changes shaped the world’s plants, animals, and even how people lived. Because of this great swap, we now enjoy many foods that come from faraway places!