Cortez1

ElvaCortez
Thoroyan
Humanities9
19May2016
TheSpreadofDiseaseDuringtheColumbianExchange
Imagineafamilylivingcontentlyoffthelandtheydontneedmuchandforsomeodd
reasontheyvesomehowmanagedtosurvivewithouttheuseofthetechnologywhichwas
developedoverseas.Suddenly,manyboatsfullofstrangemeninvadetheirterritories,theycome
bearingsicknessanddeath.ThespreadofdiseasesduringtheColumbianExchangeaffectedthe
NewWorldspopulationbecausethenewdiseaseswipedoutasignificantportionoftheir
population,itallowedEuropeanstoconquertheirland,anditmadetheworldricheroverall.
WhydiddiseasespreadtotheAmericasandwhydiditkillsomanypeople?Forone,
whenthefirstpeoplebegantodomesticateAmerica,theybroughtnodomesticatedanimalswith
them.Additionally,ontheirtriptothenewland,whencrossingcoldareaslikeSiberia,the
extremelylowtemperatureseliminatedmanydiseasecausingagentssothatwhentheygotthere
theywouldbelivingdiseasefreeandpeacefullyformanyyearsbeforeChristopherColumbus
sailedtheocean.MeanwhileinAsiaandAfrica,thedomesticationofanimalsbroughtforth
manydiseases.Fastforwardto1492,whenColumbusarrived,theseeminglyhealthyworldof
theNativeAmericanswasshatteredbyEuropeandiseases.(McNeill)
Demographically,itisestimatedthatNewworldspopulationsdroppedashighas85to
90percentwithin150yearsafter1492whenColumbusfirstarrivedintheAmericas.Diseases
suchasmalaria,smallpox,measles,whoopingcough,andchickenpox.Unfortunatelyforthe

nativepeople,theEuropeansbroughtalongsicknessfromtheirvoyage,thesewereillnessesthat
theywerenotimmuneto,andtheyendeduperadicatingalargechunkoftheirpopulation.When
talkingabouttheimpactofthesediseases,historianRobertMcCaastatesthatademographic
disasteroccurred,andthatepidemicdiseasewasadominantfactor.(Ravipg5)
...anepidemicbrokeout,asicknessofpustules.ItbeganinTepeilhuitl.Large
bumpsspreadonpeoplesomewereentirelycovered....[Thevictims]couldno
longerwalkabout,butlayintheirdwellingsandsleepingplaces,...Andwhen
theymadeamotion,theycalledoutloudly.Thepustulesthatcoveredpeople
causedgreatdesolationverymanypeoplediedofthem,andmanyjuststarvedto
deathstarvationreigned,andnoonetookcareofothersanylonger.(a.c)
Nowfacingstrangeanddeadlydiseases,theindigenouspeopleweretodealwiththe
problemofsavingtheirland.Asthepreviousquotedemonstrates,thepopulationlevelsoftheir
tribesdroppedwhichleftthemwithfeweropportunitiestofightbackandprotectwhatwas
rightfullytheirs.Thelackofpeopleabletodefendtheirterritoriesendedupmakingiteasierfor
Europeanstotakeover.Toindicatetheirnewpossession,whitesettlersbegantobringother
thingsaswell.Theybroughtandcultivatedcropslikewheatandapples.Theyalsobroughtcattle
andhorseswhichtheyusedtofacilitateeverydaytasks.Thishadasignificantimpactonthe
worldeconomicallybecausethenaturalspreadofthesethingsendedupmakingtheworldricher.
ThechangeinNativeAmericanpopulationsbecamesodrasticinfactthatin1533,a
SpanishofficialCastaedawrotetohiskingtovoicehisconcernforthepeople.
Theindiansofthisprovince[Nicaragua]arebecomingextinct,andifsomething
isnotdonequicklytherewillbenothingleftinfouryears..Eventhoughtheir

masters...takegoodcareofthem,thisisnotenoughtokeepthemfromdying,
since[theyalso]haveaweakconstitutionTheIndianswhotransportmaize
tothelaborgangshavesettoworkassoonastheyarriveaftertravellingforty
leaguesthus,iftheyaretakensick,theillnesscatchesthemwhentheyareworn
outandexhausted,andinordertonotdiethere,suchpeopleleavefortheir
homes,wheretheyneverarrive,sincetheydieontheway(Parry).

Thoughitwouldbeagoodguesstosaythathewasnttooconcernedabouttheirlivesas

muchashewasconcernedaboutmakinghislifeeasier,thefactthatthereweresomanydeaths
thathefelttheneedtocontactthekingcertainlyraiseseyebrows.

ThespreadofdiseasesduringtheColumbianExchangecertainlypavedthewayfor

manythingstocomeconsequently.ItallowedmainlytheSpanishandBritishtoconquermore
landwhileunfortunatelykillingoffmanypeopleintheprocess.Hadthesediseasesnotspread
andkilledoffNativeAmericanpopulations,thenperhapstheywouldhavebeenabletofight
backandprotecttheirlandandlifeasweknowitcertainlywouldn'tbethesame.

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