The Columbian Exchange Project-Cassava

Through History

Cassava Timeline

What Is Cassava?

1400s

1450-1500

1450-1750

1550-1750

Cassava is a starchy root vegtable that is a common food source in tropical regions. It is a main source for carbohydrates.It is known for its ability to grow and thrive in harsh climates. The plant is quite versitle and can be cooked and used in many diffrent ways. Cassava if eaten raw or cooked incorrectly has enough cyanide in it to kill the average adult.

Profitability and Spread of Cassava during 1450-1500.

When and How Cassava Came to The Old World

Impacts Of Cassava On Local Enviorment

How Cassava Was Incorparated Into New Cultures

Cassava was a very profitable crop , though it was used mainly in the African regions to feed many families because it was a staple crop that could grow easily in subtropical African areas. Cassava started to spread East, first going to Europe around 1500. It also was adopted by six old regions of Africa: Nigeria, Tanzania, Congo, Uganda, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire. During the Columbian Exchange, not many tribes adopted it into the cultural aspects, It was used only to provide food for individual homes.

Cassava first made its way to Europe in the late 15th century when Christopher Columbus had returned from the Americas. Cassava did not see much sucess in Europe due to it needing Tropical and Subtropical conditions to grow in which Europe lacked greatly. Another reason for it not becoming a popular food in Europe is because of the already established diets and cultural prefrences like wheat and barley

The spread of Cassava impacted the areas where they were grown heavily and the impact was not always positive. The expansion of Cassava cultivation often led to large scale land clearing and deforestation, transforming the local habitats into Cassava plantations. Cassava is also known for its need for moderate-high amounts of water consumption which exerted pressure on local water resources. The introduction of Cassava to new lands destroyed local soil dynamics, contributing to soil erosion and degradation.

Example 2:

When Cassava was introduced to African regions by Portugese traders where it became a part of African culture . The local people quickly learned that it was poisonous if consumed raw and that they first needed to peel it, wash it and then cook it for it to be edible. They figured out that they needed to . Cassava was also incorporated into the culture and became a staple in the diets of many villagers because they would cut the manioc roots into small chunks, dry them and then grind it into a fine flour-like powder known as almidón. Almidón can be stored almost for years.Even though Cassava was in high demand during the Columbian Exchange (escpecially to areas in drought) it is a very inexpensive crop and does not provide much profit unless it is sold quickly and in large amounts.

Example 1:

Cassava was meant to be a famine-proofing crop that could help a group of people reduce their dependence on imported wheat or corn, improve food security, and support economic growth. Cassava is a crop that is capable of growing in harsh conditions and can be used to produce a wide range of products and help people from starvation during hard times. While other crops can be easily destroyed during impacts, Cassava grows underground and can survive for months.

1450-1750

1600s

1558

Citations

8,000 B.C

How Cassava Impacted Labour Practices

Who Profited Off Cassava

Origins

Where Cassava Spread After the Columbian Exchange

Cassava plant guide - USDA plants database. (n.d.). https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_maes.pdf

International Institute Of Tropical Agriculture. (n.d.). https://www.iita.org/cropsnew/cassava/

Hirst, K. K. (2019, January 20). When and where was the cassava domesticated?. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/cassava-manioc-domestication-170321

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, December 5). Cassava. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/cassava

s

Cassava was first introduced to West Africa from Brazil by Portuguese merchants as a form of trade around the 16th century. It was a very profitable cash crop for the Africans but provided a huge profit for European traders within the Columbian Exchange.

Labor practices relating to the production and cultivation of Cassava varied based on the area in which it was grown. Cassava grown in the Americas and Caribbean typically occurred on plantations which relied heavily on forced labor, initially through the enslavement of the native people and later through the transatlantic slave trade. In Africa the production and cultivation of Cassava did not rely on slave or forced labor; rather it relied on the work of local communities who were not initially tied to large scale Cassava production.

Cassava was first domesticated 10,000 years ago in west-central Brazil but quickly spread throughout most of South America. Rapidly becoming a staple, it sustained native populations in northern South America, southern Mesoamerica, and the Caribbean. Cassava played a vital role in shaping pre-Columbian cultures due to its ability to thrive in harsh conditions and its containing high calories, making it a resilient and nutritious crop.

Portuguese explorers introduced cassava to Africa around 1558, its adaptability to hash climates made it a vital crop . Cassava became a staple part of local diets. By the early 1600s Cassava had also spread to Asia and Ocieana