Which statement from this passage could be used as evidence to suggest that the columbian exchange benefited the old world much more than the new world? smallpox was enormously important until quite modern times, until the middle of the 20th century at the latest. so i was chasing it down, and i found myself reading the original accounts of the european settlements in mexico, peru, or cuba in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. . there are excellent english translations dating back for generations. practically all of them will get into a page or two or ten about the decimation of american indians, or a page about how important maize is when all european crops fail, and things like that. i really didn't realize that i was starting a revolution in historiography when i got into this subject. —alfred w. crosby on the columbian exchange, 2011 a. i really didn't realize that i was starting a revolution in historiography when i got into this subject. b. practically all of them will get into a page or two or ten about the decimation of american indians, or a page about how important maize is when all european crops fail, and things like that. c. smallpox was enormously important until quite modern times, until the middle of the 20th century at the latest. d. so i was chasing it down, and i found myself reading the original accounts of the european settlements in mexico, peru, or cuba in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.