Amazon Use and Exploitation Since European Discovery
Colonization
As with most areas of the New World, European "discovery" brought disease, conquest, and slavery to the Amazon. Early colonization, done by the Portuguese, began in the early 1600's. Natives were so struck by disease, that they were on the verge of cultural collapse, which made it easy for Europeans with guns to capture and enslave them.
Due to disease and exploitation, the highly productive and sustainable agriculture of the indigenous Amazonians collapsed. The Portuguese were unable to replicate these agricultural methods, mostly because European farming methods did not match the characteristics of the Amazon floodplain. Some crops included cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, rice, and even cacao.
Cacao was actually the Amazon's largest export, well into the 1800's.With agriculture proving expensive, European colonies turned to collecting plants from the forest that were valuable as pharmaceuticals. This drug collection was done in canoes, and was fairly inexpensive. Natives were used as guides to locate the desired plants.
Rubber
Several species of wild rubber are native to the Amazon. Hevea brasiliensis is the most important for commercial use. From 1853 to
1863,
rubber was the fastest growing export in the Amazon. In addition,
it was an important product, and highly linked to the strength of world
markets, from the mid 1800's to the end of WWII.Cacao Tree
(Theobroma cacao)
Rubber Tree
(Hevea brasiliensis)
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