Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped colonisation of the Americas
Answers
The Portuguese and the Spanish had a strong firepower and army. But along with these, germs and viruses helped them in conquering parts of America. As America was isolated earlier, the original inhabitants had no immunity against the dreadful germs and viruses present in Europe.
The diseases once introduced, spread very fast. The diseases, like smallpox decimated whole communities, paving the way for the conquest of the colonisers.
These germs were more dangerous as compared to guns and firearms because guns could be bought or captured, but there was no way to escape from these diseases.
Thus, the Portuguese and Spanish colonisers conquered the local population easily to enable colonisation of the Americas.
Answer:
The global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonization of the Americas. The reason was that the native Americans were not immune to the diseases that the European settlers brought with them. The Europeans were to a certain extent immune to the effects of diseases like smallpox due to centuries of exposure, but the native Americans had no such defence against this disease, as they were isolated from diseases native to the old world. At times, settlers deliberately practised biological warfare on the natives by giving items laced with smallpox germs as ‘gifts of friendship’. The disease was far more effective in wiping out entire tribes and communities without having to resort to firearms.