This post continues my efforts to explain some of the consequences of the Columbian Exchange, one of my favorite historical topics. Today I want to talk about the importance of sugar in the Caribbean. To read previous posts about the Columbian Exchange, please see Introduction to the Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange and Human Extinction […]
Tag: Spain
Horses and Bison – More On the Columbian Exchange
In previous posts about the Columbian Exchange, I’ve mentioned horses in passing. To see previous posts on my series explaining the Columbian Exchange, perhaps the most important event in modern history, click here: (Introduction to the Columbian Exchange) (The Columbian Exchange and Human Extinction) (Smallpox and the Columbian Exchange). Today I want to blog about […]
Smallpox and the Columbian Exchange
In my last post about the Columbian Exchange, I mentioned in passing what happened to the Incas and Aztecs when they met with Europeans after 1492. Today, it is time to flesh out that story and how it relates to the Columbian Exchange by describing the importance of smallpox. You might have heard a version […]
The Values of Manifest Destiny, Part 2
In my last post, (click here to read) I laid out the values of Manifest Destiny. Hopefully, I made the case that it was among the most influential doctrines put forward in US history. Today, I’d like to show how the values of Manifest Destiny interacted with some other events in American history. I’ve already […]
George Orwell and the Spanish Civil War
Today I was reminded of one of my favorite stories from history, George Orwell and the Spanish Civil War. In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began. On one side were the forces of the slightly left-of-center elected Spanish government, on the other, the hard-right fascist rebels of general Francisco Franco. After the war began, various […]
Real Pirates of the Caribbean
The Battle of New Orleans, fought in January 1815, remains an important conflict in American history. Interestingly, however, the importance is not in its military consequences, considering that the battle itself occurred about three weeks after the War of 1812 was over. (The peace treaty was signed in Europe, and in 1815, news traveled only […]