Why did the explorers in the 16 and 17th century thought that the New World was virtually empty?

Question

Why did the explorers in the 16 and 17th century thought that the New World was virtually empty?

Answer 1

They were clueless drones who thought they knew everything.

Answer 2

Compared to the relatively dense population of Europe, the new world was virtually deserted. Also, the explorers had a very European world view. They didn't recognize a stone age culture as relevant. They figured that if there's only savages, then the land is not fully developed and therefore empty.

The other aspect of course is the sheer size of the new world compared to Europe. It was huge, they'd never seen such massive expanses of land that didn't have a city or army on it somewhere.

Answer 3

Because compared to Europe it was, some parts where the residents relied on hunting and gathering might only see people seasonally. Then add infectious diseases like measles, small pox, and plague which killed millions and the land was virtually empty.