The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas

Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian

Scholarly Articles from Harvard University Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the long-term impacts of the Columbian Exchange -- that is, the exchange of diseases, ideas, food crops, technologies, populations, and cultures between the New World and the Old World after Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492. We focus on the aspects of the exchange that have been most neglected by economic studies; namely the transfer of diseases, food crops, and knowledge between the two Worlds. We pay particular attention to the effects of the exchange on the Old World.

Date: 2010
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Published in Journal of Economic Perspectives

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Journal Article: The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hrv:faseco:11986330

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