Latin America's participation in inter regional trade started with the discovery of the New World by Columbus. Because of Spain's discovery, the kings of Portugal and Spain created the Treaty of Tordesillas which divided the world in two, giving almost all of Latin America to Spain with the exception of a tiny portion of South America that was given to Portugal. Colonization …show more content…
Another change in trade in Latin America was the start of the slave trade in the Caribbean because Latin America became a hub for the slaves delivered by the Portuguese from West Africa. Apart from that, a change in trade was the growth of the plantation economy in Latin America because this increased the demand for slaves in the region as well as the profits made by the slave traders in the Caribbean.
One of the continuities in Latin America during 1500-1750 was the dominance of European merchants in the region because of the advancements in technology made by Europe at that time. Apart from that, another continuity in trade in Latin America was the products it exchanged with other parts in the world during the Columbian Exchange because Latin America sent maize, potatoes, silver, gold and cash crops to Europe, Africa, and Southeast