The Columbian exchange gave Europe the opportunity too no longer be limited by biological regime, it gave the Europeans the opportunity to become a global economic and ecological power house during the mid 15th to late 18th century. The exchange gave gave the Europeans this advantage for a number of reasons, those being local resources, resources gathered from European colonies, the distribution of different kinds of plants and animals to new areas, the spread of diseases. These causes for better or worse were why Europe was able to grow so quickly.
Resources were the main driving force for giving societies the chance to move from a society that was under the limitations of a old biological regime; into a more modern industrialized country. Specifically coal was the resource that was special in this transitional period. Robert Mark who is a history and environmental professor at Whittier college in Southern California states. "The use of coal was a major breakthrough, launching human society out of the biological old regime and into a new one no longer limited by annual solar energy flows"11 Countries that were using wood too burn and heat things were at a major disadvantage to those who had major access to coal. Coal was special because it burnt hotter and longer than wood was able too. Coal would also become the major resource in fueling the industrial revolution. "The replacement-with steam generated by burning coal- of wind, water, and animals for powering industrial machines constitutes the beginning of Industrial Revolution"2 When comparing both China and England during this transition they are going though the same problems.
The Columbian exchange help England become an industrial power where China didn't get effected in a positive way to that of England. Both countries were dealing with similar problems before the transactions took place, both countries were dealing with resource problems, a lack of land expansion and hitting the ceiling with technological developments. The difference between these countries were the ease of finding coal in England and resources being pumped from their colonies. Marks states that without coal or the use of colonies then the British would have a completely different industrial revolution. "Without coal or colonies, the Chinese were forced to expend greater amounts of labor and capital on improving output from lands, were the British were released from...
