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Native American Downfall

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The Downfall of the Native Americans The conquistadors came to the New World to conquer the land and everything they could gain from it such as gold, money, gems, and power. While the Native Americans had a few advantages over the conquistadors, having a larger population and already having set cultures throughout their nations to name a couple the conquistadors would succeed in subduing the Native Americans. The Europeans were successful in their endeavor for a few reasons; environmental factors, technology and tactics. One of the main factors that allowed the Europeans to take over the Native Americans was diseases; smallpox, typhus, and measles being the main killers. Europeans unknowingly brought over diseases with them causing epidemics and a huge depopulation among the Native …show more content…

With the introduction of European domesticated livestock; honeybees, pigs, horses, mules, sheep, and cattle and the domesticated plants; wheat, barley, rye, oats, grasses, and grapevines there was also the introduction of pathogens, weeds, and rats. Because of the lack of labor force and the vast lands the colonists would fence in their smaller crops to reduce the amount of work leaving their livestock to freely roam around the land. This caused feral herds and the destruction of the environment that the natives relied on for survival. These animals would eat or destroy the Native Americans crops because unlike the Europeans they did not fence in their crops, if the Native Americans killed and ate the animals that ruined their crops the Europeans would want compensation for them killing their property. “By a mix of design and accident, the newcomers triggered a cascade of processes that alienated the land, literally and figuratively, from its indigenous people.” (Taylor, American Colonies,

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The Age of Exploration is what causes Americans to now celebrate Columbus Day. The Age of Exploration inspired Christopher Columbus to sail west to find the Northwest Passage and wealth. Although it is believed that Columbus was not the first to make it to the New World his discovery caused massive change. The Age of Exploration sparked by the desire of more successful trade routes and goods set off the momentous, Colombian Exchange which led to the spread of disease and swop of animals as well as crops. The Age of Exploration was initiated by the Europeans because of their desire for luxury goods from Asia and a faster way of getting them.

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The Native Americans were being driven out of their own land so that Americans could wear out the land with their tobacco. Tobacco was called the poor man’s crop, although after a couple years the land was worn out and could grow no more. A chief from the Iroquois Confederacy knew this

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The Columbian Exchange between the new world and the old world significantly change people’s lives. After 1492, Europeans brought in horses to America which changes the nomadic Native American groups’ living from riding on buffalos to horses. This interchange also change the diet of the rest of the world with foods such as corns (maize), potatoes which are major diet for European nowadays. 
Besides all the animals from old world to the new world, Spanish also brought in the diseases that Native Americans were not immune of, such as smallpox which led to a large amount of Native Americans’ deaths.

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A century after Columbus made the Americas known to Europe, the Spaniards sent out additional ships to explore and bring back wealth and knowledge. However, Hérnan Cortés, the leader of this expedition, did not follow his mission. He first conquered a city on the coast and moved inward to continue overtaking the Aztec empire (Lecture?). The moment Cortés and his men touched the land, European diseases such as smallpox and yellow fever began decimating the Aztecs, who had never built up immunities. In addition to this, there had already been drought, causing a shortage of food and water throughout the empire.

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Age of exploration Dbq 90% of the Native Americans population was killed by European colonizers’ harsh treatment. These colonizers came during the Age of Exploration which was a time when Europeans, especially Spaniards, came and enforced very harsh treatment on Native AmericansWhen the Europeans were coming over they were searching for gold,land and other resources that Europe did not provide. Due to the Europeans the native americans were exposed to warfare,disease,and had their resources taken from them which made them suffer badly. The first reason the Native Americans suffered was disease.

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880 Words | 4 Pages

The Natives believed that the Europeans are “edgy, rapacious, and remotely maladroit.” Sure enough, the settlers in Jamestown kenned little about farming and found the environment baffling. It was conspicuous that the colonists needed the avail of the Natives. Despite their inexperience the English dominated the Indians. From “the beginning the Virginia Company indited that the relationship would ineluctably become bellicose: for you Cannot Carry Your Selves so towards them but they will Grow Discontented with Your habitation.”

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Smallpox and measles successfully wiped out majorities of native populations creating a much easier path to victory for the Europeans. But not just disease ensured victory for the Europeans. Poor political decisions and societal hierarchy within native societies contributed to their own

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In contrast, the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs and Incas much quicker. Some of this was due to help they received from other groups of Natives and the situations that were present in these societies when the Spanish arrived. Most of this was due to the debilitating effects European diseases had on Native Americans. Another difference between the two groups’ interactions is the different ways the Africans and Native Americans reacted to the Europeans’ presence. Since the Americas had been isolated from the rest of the world before 1492, they did not know how to react to the arrival of the Europeans and were frightened by how different they were.

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Wheat, oats, and barely are all new foods brought to the Americas which also had weeds in between the seeds which displaced native flora and fauna.

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They readily exchanged the domestication of insects, animals, and plants. For example, the Indians were not familiar with the European animals such as pigs, horses, and cows while the Settlers acquired vegetables and different fruits from the Native land. These healthy exchanges caused the future agricultural developments in both worlds (Moran, Neil Remington, and Sarah). The Indians made good use of the opportunity. After getting animals like horses, it enables them to explore other lands of America.

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The Indian Removal Act forced the Native Americans to move away from their ancestral homes. Gabrielle Tayac, Edwin Schupman, and Genevieve Simermeyer noted, “Native peoples have created thriving societies along the shores of numerous rivers that feed into the beautiful and environmentally rich Chesapeake Bay. They lived in connection to the seasons and the natural resources of the region” (“Chesapeake Natives: Three Major Chiefdoms”). Prior to the arrival of the colonists, the Native Americans built and maintained successful communities in their ancestral homes for generations.

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Progressing from middle school, to high school, to college, to eventually a job, is one of the major ways that the universal idea of upward progress affects our lives. Upward progress is the idea that we as humans need to continue to better ourselves, look towards the future, and move forward in life. This idea is mainly seen in modern American life, not typically associated with those of Native Americans. The cultural circle of Native American life has been broken by destruction of the traditional ways.

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The death tolls it accumulated everywhere the Europeans went. In the densely populated area of central Mexico the casualties are said to have been near 8 million (America, 25). In northern America the indigenous people had an overall smaller population and less concentrated inhabitants. Regardless they experienced a devastating onslaught of diseases that they had no immunity or cure for.

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Various factors contributed to the population decline of Native Americans, from advanced technology to diseases. When Europeans arrived in America, they brought with them diseases that could wipe out a large amount of people who were not immune to the diseases. Europeans brought better weapons and more experience in warfare. Also, they had strength in their sheer numbers, which helped to overpower the Native Americans. With better weaponry and warfare experience, epidemic diseases, and utter numbers the Europeans were able to overpower the Native Americans and cause the population of Native Americans to decrease.

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Jade Lawton Mrs Judy Liebenberg The coming of the Spanish to the Americas was catastrophic for the indigenous Mayan civilisation. The coming of the European to the Americas was catastrophic for the indigenous American civilisations because the Mayan was conquered by the Spanish in a brutal and harsh way. The Mayan built an ancient civilization that stretched throughout much of Central America.

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