History of Europe

Which lists things that were unknown to Europe prior the Columbian Exchange?

The Columbian Exchange was the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and Europe following Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the Americas. Here are some things that were previously unknown to Europe prior to the Columbian Exchange:

Plants:

- Maize (corn)

- Potatoes

- Sweet potatoes

- Cassava

- Tomatoes

- Peppers (bell peppers, chili peppers, etc.)

- Squash (including zucchini and pumpkins)

- Beans (including kidney beans, lima beans, and pinto beans)

- Peanuts

- Chocolate

- Vanilla

Animals:

- Turkey

- Guinea pig

- Llama

- Alpaca

- Vicuña

- Coati

- Opossum

- Raccoon

- Porcupine

- Armadillo

- Anteater

- Sloth

- Capybara

- Piranha

Diseases:

- Smallpox

- Measles

- Mumps

- Rubella (German measles)

- Typhus

- Yellow fever

- Malaria

- Chagas disease

- Syphilis

Technologies:

- The use of rubber

- The use of tobacco

- The hammock

- The canoe

- The raft

- The blowgun

- The poison arrow

- The chinampa (a type of raised agricultural bed)

- The quipu (a type of knotted string record-keeping system)