The Western Hemisphere. General term for the Americas following their discovery by Europeans, thus setting them in contradistinction to the Old World of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Minimalist wrote:In the aftermath of Columbus' voyage we know that widespread disease eviscerated the native american population which had no resistance to these infections. Why would earlier contact not have yielded a similar result?
They did.
The 8,350 BCE arrival from Europe of the Andaste (Canadian Maritime Archaic People, marked by Dalton Maritime Arachaic points, (not to be confused with Dalton points) led to quarry abandonments in eastern North America.
The sudden end of Dorset culture ca. 1275 CE was likely due to Norse disease vectors, though a south western North America Hanta eruption at the same time (1275 CE) is highly likely as well.
The 8,350 BCE arrival from Europe of the Andaste (Canadian Maritime Archaic People, marked by Dalton Maritime Arachaic points, (not to be confused with Dalton points) led to quarry abandonments in eastern North America.
The sudden end of Dorset culture ca. 1275 CE was likely due to Norse disease vectors, though a south western North America Hanta eruption at the same time (1275 CE) is highly likely as well.
I don't know much about the 8,350bce event, but it is obvious from Native American traditions handed down to the colonists in the 16th and 17th centuries that New England's population was wiped out a few hundred years earlier with tribes coming from afar to resettle the area over time. Of course, the period of transition was also one of wars. I believe (and correct me if I'm wrong, EP) that the Lenni Lenape and Iroquois entered the area while banding together to wipe out the indigenous populations (one of the few times those two tribes ever agreed on anything).
A quick check indicates that the Andastes ( named by the French ) were located along the Susquehanna River and were probably there for only a couple of hundred years before being absorbed by the Iroquois after making some unfortunate choices in war.
That would be a long way from 8350 BC.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
On the Lower Susquehanna dwelt the formidable tribe called by the French Andastes. Little is known of them, beyond their general resemblance to their kindred, in language, habits, and character. Fierce and resolute warriors, they long made head against the Iroquois of New York, and were vanquished at last more by disease than by the tomahawk.
[Gallatin erroneously places the Andastes on the Alleghany, Bancroft and others adopting the error. The research of Mr. Shea has shown their identity with the Susquehannocks of the English, and the Minquas of the Dutch.--See Hist. Mag., II. 294.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
We're these earlier voyagers also Spanish and English? If not then maybe they were more closely related to the people of the new world and less likely to be living with diseases that the new world people couldn't live with. Just a thought
Most of the killer disease began as cattle-borne and jumped to humans. It generally requires living in close quarters to spread a decent epidemic and most Europeans cities at the time were filthy. Since domesticated animals in 1492 favored Eurasia about two dozen to one over the Americas, those entering the New World had built up slightly better genetic resistance to a plethora of diseases that the Native Americans had never experienced.
Most Native Americans shared a common genetic ancestry with Asians; however, without the resistance buildup. Asians who experienced mass epidemics fared better than their Native American counterparts since they hadn't been isolated.
yea, I know how it works. But someone asked why these earlier voyagers didnt spread diseases when they came. So I was just wondering if they were a totally different civilization, maybe closer related to native americans, maybe not living in filthy european cities, etc.
But someone asked why these earlier voyagers didnt spread diseases when they came. So I was just wondering if they were a totally different civilization, maybe closer related to native americans, maybe not living in filthy european cities, etc.
EP is stating that some incursions did spread diseases, including the Norse who apparently brought cattle with them. In general, traveling the long seaborne distances required to get to the Americas would have the effect of taking people through a "clean room" since most people who were sick would have died on the voyage. Jared Diamond does a good job of explaining this in "Guns, Germs & Steel".
Further, most foreigners just weren't welcome - there are many instances where the natives simply killed off Europeans who were attempting to settle or even visit. Seems that there was already a long tradition of bad luck with foreigners by the time of Columbus.
The Native Americans almost exclusively caried Asiatic genetics with little prior exposure to new European diseases. To answer your question, pre-Columbian contact by Chinese would have been gentler on West Coast natives since the Chinese were closer genetically and didn't wallow in filth such as 16th Century Europeans did. The only time the latter bathed was when they fell into the water by mistake.
Wrong. Confusion presented as truth by repetition.
You'll have to take that up with them.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Absolutely Cogs, an automatic quarantine period. It wasn't till air liners took over that we really faced the possibilty of the rapid spread of diseases.
Roy.
First people deny a thing, then they belittle it, then they say it was known all along! Von Humboldt
In general, traveling the long seaborne distances required to get to the Americas would have the effect of taking people through a "clean room" since most people who were sick would have died on the voyage.
Sounds reasonable in theory.....but in practice millions and millions of native americans died in epidemics.
I submit that they did not die of good health, gang.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
but in practice millions and millions of native americans died in epidemics.
Of course they did, but that was after Europeans began showing up in considerable numbers. It's a matter of degree.
An occasional boat blown off course won't do it, but hundreds of boat visiting yearly will bring a variety of diseases to inflict upon the natives, generally in the name of God. Michael Mann's "1491" states that nearly 95% of the New World's native populations were wiped out during the 16th century as a result.
Now you sound like a christian with this eye-witness crap.
Ever serve on a jury? Defense lawyers routinely rip "eye witnesses" to shreds. Most people are about as observant as a loaf of bread.
Meanwhile, remember I read your book and found nothing but Indian folklore in it.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
