We often hear indigenous peoples died from disease introduced by European settlers in North and South America. If indigenous peoples there were susceptible to eradication by unfamiliar disease why is the same not true of disease and death to settlers? Or is it true but more easily overcome?
In: Biology
They did. The early colonization of the 17th century had a death rate of about 50% in the first year. It was called the seasoning sickness. After that in Virginia about 1 in 10 lived to prosper. Further along, next century, in those tough enough to survive, the child mortality rate was humongous.
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