I learned in community college that the european settlers gave blankets contaminated with measels or small pox to the natives in order to kill them, since they had no immunities to the diseases. I stated that in an answer the other day and someone told me that it was not true. Is it or not?
2006-10-02 02:09:23 · 6 answers · asked by Mujer Bonita 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
So far as it being done in an intentional attempt to kill off the natives it didn't happen. Several Crow Braves once stole several blankets from a railroad smallpox quarantine station and the result was a mild outbreak amongst the tribe and it is possible that there were other isolated accidents but the organized planned genocide that, as a cherished and accepted idea, has taken hold in popular culture is simply a myth. Please consider this. The outbreak of smallpox that decimated the North American Native Peoples can be traced directly to a Spanish Conquistador, consider him patient zero if you like, who was a member of Hernando Cortez's first expedition against the Aztecs. The natives susceptibility to the disease allowed it to spread like wildfire across the North American Continent. Long before even the year 1600 had dawned the damage was done and untold millions had died. Those that remained had already been exposed to the disease and their hard won immunity was passed along to their children. Infected blankets would therefore have been ineffectual weapons and no more a threat to the natives than the European settlers. I realize this is all terribly politically incorrect and will be upsetting to some but historically it is only the truth.
2006-10-02 16:23:35 · answer #1 · answered by mjlehde@sbcglobal.net 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The way I have always heard it, the Europeans gave diseases to the natives by just being there.
It was the US Army and State Dept. that handed out intentionaly infected blankets and tainted food to natives in their charge in order to kill them off.
2006-10-02 02:17:24 · answer #2 · answered by roamin70 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is true. They did that to a number of tribes, but I know for sure they did that to the Navajos. It was an attempt of genocide, which is still going on to a certain degree.
2006-10-02 15:51:46 · answer #3 · answered by kokomo9 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is true. Small pox was one of the diseases they gave them.
2006-10-02 04:13:07 · answer #4 · answered by T 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is true that some did do it on purpose but most of the time they had no idea they were infecting anyone.
2006-10-02 02:15:55 · answer #5 · answered by Jenny D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is true!
2006-10-02 02:34:18 · answer #6 · answered by Star of Florida 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋