3 ms·
< many people are convinced today that the (smallpox and other) epidemics introduced to north america by european settlers were real. Out of curiosity, why do
by epimetheus 10y ago
< many people are convinced today that the (smallpox and other) epidemics introduced to north america by european settlers were real.
Out of curiosity, why do you word it this way? I'm curious because I have a coworker that thinks the smallpox story is some evil liberal conspiracy of some sort, and never happened. Yet I see only evidence for, not against.
- maxerickson 10y agoMass death from disease clearly happened. I think there is some room to question how much of it was intentional. Clearly some of it was intentional, but if diseases unthinkingly carried over on the first voyages are responsible for a large number of the deaths, we should take note of that.
- febeling 10y agoi tried to word it neutral with regard to intentionality. after what i read it was considered more of a tragedy then anything else, but i think there are new interpretations, which are also mentioned in comments above.
- mineshaftgap 10y agoThe current narrative is white people are the cause of all evil, of course they get no credit for advancing civilization, that was just luck.