EUROPEAN DISEASES Essay - 1447 Words

The greatest adversary to the natives in the Americas was not the swords or guns of the invaders. It was the devastation brought by deadly diseases infecting an unsuspecting population that had no immunity to such diseases. The Europeans were said to be thoroughly diseased by the time Columbus set sail on his first voyage (Cowley, 1991). Through the domestication of such animals as pigs, horses, sheep, and cattle, the Europeans exposed themselves to a vast array of pathogens which continued to be spread through wars, explorations, and city-building. Thus any European who crossed the Atlantic was immune to such diseases as measles and smallpox because of battling them as a child. The original inhabitants traveled to the New World in†¦show more content†¦It often causes massive epidemics of which only the most resilient individuals survive. As natural selection weeds out the most susceptible hosts and the survivors repopulate, what was once a deadly disease becomes a routine childhood illness. The first major disease to find the New World was probably smallpox which broke out on Hispanola in 1518. As the Spaniards moved toward the mainland from the islands their diseases often proceeded them. One reason for this was a messenger bearing the news of the invasion to his people could carry the diseases as well as his message. With the arrival of Cortes in 1520 the smallpox virus was brought to Mexico and the Aztec nation. It has been thought that if the virus had not come when it did the Spanish invasion would not have been successful (Lunenfeld, 314). The Aztec leader of the assault against the Spanish invasion, as well as many of his followers, died after ordering the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan. If the people would have continued with what they had started, they would not have been conquered for before August 21, 1521, the Spaniards were almost defeated. However in a siege that lasted seventy-five days the dead Aztecs from combat, starvation, and disease numbered into the 1000s (Crosby, 1972). The massive numbers of dead stunned the people so much that they were unable to react. The natives were not the only ones affected by the dead, however, for theShow MoreRelated The Role of Disease in European Exploration and Colonization1896 Words   |  8 PagesThe Role of Disease in European Exploration and Colonization Human mobility, in terms of European transcontinental exploration and colonization, began to truly flourish after the 1400s. This travel, inspired by financial motives and justified by religious goals, resulted in the European dominance and decimation of countless cultures in both the Americas and Eurasia. While at first glance it seems as though this dominance was achieved through mainly military means - European militias, likeRead More The Impact of European Diseases in the New World Essay1987 Words   |  8 PagesThe Impact of European Diseases in the New World If science has taught us anything, it is that one event invariably effects countless others. This is no more evident than when a species is introduced into a new environment. Once a foreign species finds itself in new surroundings, it can either die or adapt. Often, these introduced species take over the environment, irrevocably changing it to fit their needs. This usually leads to a serious deteriorating in the well being of species currentlyRead More Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the New World3721 Words   |  15 PagesDisease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the New World The European conquest of the new world was most commonly attributed to the superiority of the Europeans in all the facets of their confrontation. They had the superior weaponry, and were thought to have a superior intellect. After all, they were just bringing civilization to the new world, right? It sounds nice when you are learning about Columbus in grade school, but the traditional story is pretty far fromRead MoreConsumerism: A Disease in the Chinese and European Communities2708 Words   |  11 Pagesï » ¿Consumerism: A Disease in the Chinese and European Community Introduction: According to the State of World (2004) report, China, UK and Western Europeans have had a bar on untenable over- consumption for decades. Roughly 1.7 billion people globally now fit in to the consumer class the group of people distinguished by diets of extremely processed food, yearning for bigger houses, better and bigger cars, higher level of revolving credit, and lifestyles dedicated to hoard unnecessary goods. TodayRead More Migration and Disease in Africa during European Imperialism Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesThe Relationship between Migration and Disease in Africa during European Imperialism During the era of European Imperialism, from approximately 1880 to 1930, an increasing number of Europeans began to colonize West Africa. Because of this colonization many African natives migrated eastward, inadvertently transporting diseases to which the East Africans were not immune (Ransford 76). This phenomenon can be explained through examining the implications of geographical isolation, theRead MoreChanges Throughout The Land : Indians, Colonists, And The Ecology Of New England1177 Words   |  5 Pagesplace when there were changes in authority from Indian to European authority. It influenced the lives of Native Americans in terms of society and culture, which lead to major changes in the community. It uses ecological and historian ways to construct an analysis of the way the people and the land influenced each other, and the way the hardships of relationships created the New England community. Cronon states, â€Å"the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes – wellRead MoreConrad s Heart Of Darkness994 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough the invasion of Europeans into the Congo, inhabited by African natives. Conrad includes irony, imagery, and symbolism to criticize white imperialism and argue that Europeans cause destruction and native societies. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad reverses the traditional associations with Europeans and natives to argue that the success of a society depends on its level of morality, which is absent in imperialism. In Conrad’s novel, the level of morality of Europeans and natives are shown throughRead More The European Impact on Native American Technology Essay1659 Words   |  7 PagesThe European Impact on Native American Technology When European exploration led to the populating of the Americas, it was described as the event with one of the greatest ecological impacts in history. The force behind this impact was the mass movement of people and their behaviors toward their New World. It only stands to reason that a clash would occur with the natives of these lands. One of the areas with the greatest conflict was the field of technology. Scientifically, when the culturesRead MoreEcological Imperialism by Alfred W. Crosby1117 Words   |  4 Pagesanswers many questions about the history of European expansion. It is a well written and thought out book with great analogies and detailed information that help the reader understand what exactly Crosby is trying to say. He starts off his book by explaining what the Neo-Europes are. They are a population who settled in the temperate zones and are mainly European descents. The questions he is attempting to explain is why there is a substantial mass of Europeans in these different lands which were soRead MoreAlfred W. Crosbys Article The Columbian Voyages, The Columbian Exchange, and Their Historians769 Words   |  4 Pagesconquest of the Europeans, the cultural vacuum created by European attempts to Christianize the Amerindians, and the introduction of new and lethal micro-organisms into the ecosystem. More commonly known as viruses, these organisms wreaked havoc with a population that had never been exposed to them previously. Crosby chalks this up as another way the Europeans decimated the population of the Amerindians, but neglected to mention that although the introduction of new viruses and diseases into a culture