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 die to disease, yellow fever and smallpox outbreaks would kill thousands and even were considered a first line of defense during naval invasions. The idea of “inmunity” to those is incorrect and doesn’t exist withou vaccination, you just survive them.
The difference is that diseases from the old world were introduced in a way they would affrct the young, adult and elderly at the same time and in addition to war, starvation or slavery. There was no moment to catch your brrsth and so results were cstastrophic.
Settlers didn’t find New World diseases that were as strong because of lack of many animals too.
_Guns, Germs, and Steel_ by Jared Diamond is dedicated entirely to answering this question.
https://a.co/d/4GgJ0AK
Some did but basically, the European settlers lived in absolutely filthy, crammed, disease-riddled cities so when they two communities met, the Europeans had way more noble diseases to offer than the Americans did. Europe had large-scale farming, which led to grain stores, which led to rats, and insects that spread diseases really quick.
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