The Impact of European Diseases in the New World Essay -- American Ame

The Impact of European unsoundnesss in the New World If skill has taught us anything, it is that one event invariably effects innumerous others. This is no more evident than when a species is introduced into a new environment. Once a foreign species finds itself in new surroundings, it can either die or adapt. Often, these introduced species take oer the environment, irrevocably changing it to fit their needs. This usually leads to a serious deteriorating in the well being of species currently existing there. much(prenominal) is the case as when the Europeans introduced themselves to the New World. The new arrivals not only brought themselves, their technologies, and ways of life, but, most disastrously, their diseases arrived as well. When the Europeans crossed the Atlantic, they not only fought and killed many natives they slaughtered countless more with by even knowing it, signing the death warrants of millions simply by meeting . The real detrimental effect to the Indians wa s their exposure to the diseases inadvertently brought over by the colonists these most hideous enemiesinvisible killers which those men brought in their line and breath. (Stannard, xii) The effect of these diseases in the New World (and in fact, many diseases pee in general) is rather ironic. The pathogens that cause disease are not out to kill anything, quite the opposite. The whole purpose for anything existing in this dry land is to pass its genetic material on to offspring. This concept is called fitness. For an organism to be optimally fit, it must survive so it can successfully work out as often as it can, creating numerous kin so that its genes go out live on generations past its own death. For viruses to live, they need a host. They give an org... ...Stannard, David, E. 1992. American Holocaust Columbus and the Conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press. 385pp Cowley, Geoffrey. 1992. The Great Disease Migration. Newsweek. Fall/Winter, vol. 118. Pg. 54(3) Cros by, Alfred, W. 1986. Ecological Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. 368pp Meltzer, David J. 1992. How Columbus sickened the New World. New Scientist, Oct. 10. Vol.136, pg.38 (4) Linton, Alan. 1982. Microbes, Man and Animals The indwelling History of Microbial Interactions. John Wiley & Sons. 342pp Sale, Kirkpatrick. 1991. The Conquest of Paradise Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy. Plume. 453pp. Unknown, Discover Staff. 1996. The origin of Syphilis. Discover. October. Vol. 17, n10, pg23 (3) Glick, J, Schaffer, C. 1991. The Indian Homeland. U.S. News and World Report. July 8, vol.111, n2, pg26 (6)