New World

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

documented that the virus had long been established in the Old World. � Although the virus there caused significant mortality, the Old World populations had evolved some level of immunity.� Thus it was not possible for smallpox epidemics to completely wipe to a given population.
It was not the brandishing of metal weapons, or the use of gunpowder that Europeans had to thank for taking over Indian lands. It was rather the unsuspecting aid of an infectious disease that the Indians had no immunity too. Smallpox was accidentally introduced to the New World during contact between Native Americans and Europeans. The disease had a devastating impact to the Indian population because naturally, the Native Americans had no immunity to this Old World disease. This can be documented as the most devastating effect to the Native American population. As the disease quickly spread and Native American became overwhelmed by the infectious disease, populations began to decline.
Historically, ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE: