What was a major consequence of European colonization of South America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
A.
Explorers returned to Europe with deadly diseases.
B.
New World plants destroyed European ecosystems.
C.
The transatlantic slave trade rapidly grew in volume.
D.
Many world empires went bankrupt and collapsed.
The major consequence of European colonization of South America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the rapid growth in volume of the transatlantic slave trade. This answer is option C.
To arrive at this answer, let's examine the other options and explain how they do not accurately represent the major consequence of European colonization.
Option A suggests that explorers returned to Europe with deadly diseases. While it is true that diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza were introduced to the indigenous population, causing devastating effects, this was not the major consequence of European colonization.
Option B claims that New World plants destroyed European ecosystems. This is not an accurate consequence of European colonization in South America. However, it is true that the introduction of new plants had a significant impact on European agriculture and trade, but it did not destroy their ecosystems.
Option D suggests that many world empires went bankrupt and collapsed due to European colonization in South America. While the colonization did have economic and political effects on various empires, it did not lead to the bankruptcy and collapse of many world empires.
Therefore, option C, the growth in volume of the transatlantic slave trade, is the most accurate major consequence of European colonization of South America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
C.
The major consequence of European colonization of South America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was that the transatlantic slave trade rapidly grew in volume.