USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The introduction of new food crops weakened the diets of many native peoples. The spread of diseases such as smallpox wiped out much of the native population. The superior weapons of the native people weakened European expansion in the New World.

Detailed explanation-2: -The exchange introduced a wide range of new calorically rich staple crops to the Old World-namely potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, and cassava. The primary benefit of the New World staples was that they could be grown in Old World climates that were unsuitable for the cultivation of Old World staples.

Detailed explanation-3: -With the introduction of cattle, many people took up ranching as a way of life. Cattle took over native grasslands as well as areas that Native Americans had used for growing food. In North America, the horse dramatically changed how many Native Americans lived. They soon learned to use horses for hunting and warfare.

Detailed explanation-4: -The introduction of wheat was of particular significance. For thousands of years, bread had been a central part of the European diet. Wheat was not indigenous to the Americas, where maize was the native grain.

Detailed explanation-5: -The people already living in the Americas suffered many epidemics following contact with Europeans, and the death toll was massive. Large cities were nearly wiped out. Some communities on the Caribbean islands lost most of their people. Between 1492 and 1650, the population of indigenous Americans decreased rapidly.