It is commonly known that one of the greatest discoveries in human history is that of Christopher Columbus' voyage in 1492. When he first set foot on the shores of South America, he had no idea how much he would affect so many people, animals, and agriculture for hundreds of years. After that day, the economic and social development of two such vast and differing continents would never be the same.
             When Cortes returned to the Americas, he brought Horses to the continent for the first time in 10,000 years. Not long afterwards, horses that strayed from their masters caused an explosion in the horse population. This alone completely transformed Native American's entire way of life. They relied solely on Buffalo as their main resource for food, clothing and shelter. When The Native Americans learned to tame and use the "Big Dogs," (as they referred to wild horses) they for the first time became masters of their environment. They could easily hunt buffalo on the prairies in far less time than before.
             The Spanish also brought cattle which became the backbone of Argentina's economic development. Immigrants from Europe swarmed to the Americas because of great wealth from the horse and cattle industries. Railroads were brought from the Americas back to Europe many years later and became one of the best modes of transportation for traveling all over the continent.
             The potato was also brought back to Europe from the Andes which saved thousands of lives, especially in Zeegenheim, Germany. It became possible for poor families to survive with only small plots of land and no real source of income. The population soared in Ireland and Germany until the potato famine began, killing over 1 million people in the span of two years. It is still evident today that the "Colombian Exchange" touched the lives of people in all parts of the world in many ways.
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