A Pest in the Land: New World Epidemics in a Global Perspective (Diálogos Series)

Newly pertinent to today's coronavirus pandemic, this study of disease among the native peoples of the New World before and after 1492 challenges many widely held notions about encounters between European and native peoples. Whereas many late twentieth century scholars blamed the catastrophic decline of postconquest native populations on the introduction of previously unknown infections from the Old World, Alchon argues that the experiences of native peoples in the New World closely resembled those of other human populations. Exposure to lethal new infections resulted in rates of morbidity and mortality among native Americans comparable to those found among Old World populations. Why then did native American populations decline by 75 to 90 percent in the century following contact with Europeans? Why did these populations fail to recover, in contrast to those of Africa, Asia, and Europe? Alchon points to the practices of European colonialism. Warfare and slavery increased mortality, and forced migrations undermined social, political, and economic institutions. This timely study effectively overturns the notion of New World exceptionalism. By showing that native Americans were not uniquely affected by European diseases, Alchon also undercuts the stereotypical notion of the Americas as a new Eden, free of disease and violence until the intrusion of germ-laden, rapacious Europeans. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Contents List of Illustrations Maps Figures Tables Acknowledgments Introduction 1 • Old World Epidemiology to 1500 The Universal Nature of Human Responses to Disease The Origins and History of Human Disease in the Old World The Significance of the Old World Disease Experience 2 • Amerindians and Disease Before 1492 Dating the Arrival of Humans in the New World Health and Disease Before 1492 Patterns of Mortality among Hunter*Gatherers Patterns of Mortality among Sedentary Agriculturalists 3 • Colonialism, Disease, and the Spanish Conquest of the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and the Central Andes The Introduction of Old World Diseases to the Americas The Smallpox Epidemic of i$i8 Mexico Central America The Andes The Old World and the New 4 • Colonialism and Disease in Brazil and North America Brazil North America Florida and the Southeast The Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico The Northeastern United States and Canada California and the Pacific Northwest The Great Plains Brazil and North America in Comparative Perspective 5 • New World Epidemics and European Colonialism Native American and European Responses to Epidemic Disease The Impact of European Colonialism Conclusion Appendix: The Demographic Debate The Politics of Demography Debate Over the Size of Native American Populations in 1492 Methods of Estimating Precontact Native Populations The Numbers Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

This study of disease among the native peoples of the New World before and after 1492 challenges many widely held notions about encounters between European and native peoples. Whereas many late twentieth century scholars blamed the catastrophic decline of postconquest native populations on the introduction of previously unknown infections from the Old World, Alchon argues that the experiences of native peoples in the New World closely resembled those of other human populations. Exposure to lethal new infections resulted in rates of morbidity and mortality among native Americans comparable to tose found among Old World populations.

Why then did native American populations decline by 75 to 90 percent in the century following contact with Europeans? Why did these populations fail to recover, in contrast to those of Africa, Asia, and Europe? Alchon points to the practices of European colonialism. Warfare and slavery increased mortality, and forced migrations undermined social, political, and economic institutions.

This timely study effectively overturns the notion of New World exceptionalism. By showing that native Americans were not uniquely affected by European diseases, Alchon also undercuts the stereotypical notion of the Americas as a new Eden, free of disease and violence until the intrusion of germ-laden, rapacious Europeans.

In this timely study of all the reasons for extreme declines in native populations in the New World after colonization by Europeans, the author questions prevalent theories that exposure to Old World diseases was the sole cause of the devastation.