United States History Student Edition

Writing a Persuasive or Argumentative Essay

Making Connections to Today

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European exploration and colonization of the Americas had an enduring global impact. The European demand for something as simple as chocolate is one example of changes caused by these new global connections. The image presented here is a painting, titled The Chocolate Girl , created by a Swiss painter in the mid-1700s. It shows a servant girl carrying a tray that includes a porcelain cup of hot chocolate.

European exploration of the Americas and other places around the world led to great losses of peoples. For example, Christopher Columbus encountered the Taino people in the Caribbean when he arrived there in 1492, and by the mid-1550s the Taino were nearly extinct. Indigenous, or native, peoples remain endangered around the world today. ACTIVITY Creating a Digital Slide Show Conduct online research to find situations in which indigenous groups are endangered today. While some groups face losing their native lands, others face different challenges such as losing their language or access to their native foods. With a partner, create a digital slide-show presentation that illustrates one such group and explains how its native status is being threatened.

ACTIVITY Writing About the Columbian Exchange Write a one-page essay arguing how chocolate represents the enduring legacy of the Columbian Exchange. First, study the painting. What does it tell you about the discovery and trade of chocolate by Europeans? How does it represent a lasting global impact of the Columbian Exchange? Then, research how chocolate came to be popularized in Europe beginning in the 1600s, and how and why it remains a popular food item around the world today. Use your research in your essay. 62

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