The Earliest American Sometimes the illnesses spread through direct contact with Explorers colonists. Other times, they were transmitted as Indians traded with European explorers came to one another. The result of this the "New World" of North America contact with European germs was in the 1500s. Before that time, the horrible. Sometimes whole villages continent was an unknown place to perished in a short time. The them. These adventurers saw it as introduction of European diseases an entirely new land, with animals to American Indians was an and plants to discover. They also accident that no one expected. met new people in this exciting Neither the colonists nor the New World—people with Indians had a good understanding fascinating ways of life that the of why this affected the Native Europeans had never seen and people so badly. languages they had never heard. This New World for Europeans was The great impact of disease actually a very old world for the on the Native population of various people they met in North America is an important part of the America. Today we call those story of European exploration. people American Indians. Experts believe that as much as 90 percent of the American Indian As the English, French, and population may have died from Spanish explorers came to North illnesses introduced to America by America, they brought tremendous Europeans. This means that only changes to American Indian tribes. one in ten Natives survived this Europeans carried a hidden enemy hidden enemy. Their descendants to the Indians: new diseases. are the 2.5 million Indians who live Native peoples of America had no in the United States today. immunity to the diseases that European explorers and colonists brought with them. Diseases such New trade goods as smallpox, influenza, measles, represented another big change and even chicken pox proved that European explorers and deadly to American Indians. colonists brought to American Europeans were used to these Indians. Soon after meeting their diseases, but Indian people had no European visitors, Indians became resistance to them. very interested in things that the
The Earliest American Explorers European explorers came to the "New World" of North America in the 1500s. Before that time, the continent was an unknown place to them. These adventurers saw it as an entirely new land, with animals and plants to discover. They also met new people in this exciting New World—people with fascinating ways of life that the Europeans had never seen and languages they had never heard. This New World for Europeans was actually a very old world for the various people they met in North America. Today we call those people American Indians. As the English, French, and Spanish explorers came to North America, they brought tremendous changes to American Indian tribes. Europeans carried a hidden enemy to the Indians: new diseases. Native peoples of America had no immunity to the diseases that European explorers and colonists brought with them. Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, measles, and even chicken pox proved deadly to American Indians. Europeans were used to these diseases, but Indian people had no resistance to them. Sometimes the illnesses spread through direct contact with colonists. Other times, they were transmitted as Indians traded with one another. The result of this contact with European germs was horrible. Sometimes whole villages perished in a short time. The introduction of European diseases to American Indians was an accident that no one expected. Neither the colonists nor the Indians had a good understanding of why this affected the Native people so badly. The great impact of disease on the Native population of America is an important part of the story of European exploration. Experts believe that as much as 90 percent of the American Indian population may have died from illnesses introduced to America by Europeans. This means that only one in ten Natives survived this hidden enemy. Their descendants are the 2.5 million Indians who live in the United States today. New trade goods represented another big change that European explorers and colonists brought to American Indians. Soon after meeting their European visitors, Indians became very interested in things that the
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