...but did not bring any back with them to the Old World?
2006-07-17 08:43:23 · 8 answers · asked by xoil1321321432423 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
All of the diseases that Europeans brought over to the Americas were first transferred from livestock to people (example: small pox or the black plague) and eventually Europeans that hadn't died, those who had an immunity to the disease went over to the Americas bringing the disease with them. It was harmless to them, but not to the natives. So the completely unimmuned natives died in droves.
The reason the reverse never happened is because no tribes or civilizations in the Americas lived in or worked in close quarters with animals, so lethal diseases never made the jump from animal to person. No diseases, no massive pandemic for the Europeans.
2006-07-17 08:56:23 · answer #1 · answered by Emi 2 · 11⤊ 2⤋
The Europeans did bring diseases back to the "Old World" -- syphilis among others. However, the Europeans were much more disease resistant than the aboriginal Americans. The Europeans lived in closer quarters, e.g. cities, and also had been exposed for many many years to chickens and pigs and thus had better immune systems.
2006-07-17 08:52:15 · answer #2 · answered by Otis F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You see, after the first people crossed into the America's via the Bering Strait, they basically were seperated from the reest of the world. The people of the America's were fortunate enough to live in sort of a "bubble" of the world that is free from most disease, and they never were really effected from the nasty stuff the Europeans contracted when they travelled amungst themselves. But eventually, the Europeans broke the bubble and all hell broke loose in the Americas.
2006-07-17 08:55:30 · answer #3 · answered by chris 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The diseases they had were ones they'd built up an immunity to over the years, so they were infected without knowing it. The Indians were a lot cleaner people, and had not had as much exposure to diseases from around the world, so there were fewer diseases there to begin with.
2006-07-17 08:50:43 · answer #4 · answered by cross-stitch kelly 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They did not do it on purpose. The diseases were very common in Europe and the natives had not been exposed to them. The native americans did give the Europeans diseases, especially a very specific STD.
2006-07-17 08:50:32 · answer #5 · answered by leeannerimes73 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they were experimenting.
10 points pleaz xxx
2006-07-17 10:14:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are including, of course, their religious "views" and institutions, i trust?
2006-07-17 08:54:49 · answer #7 · answered by drakke1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They did, syphilis.
But I think that's it.
2006-07-17 10:38:49 · answer #8 · answered by AndyB 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋