4. The True Impact of European Diseases
The arrival of Europeans brought devastating epidemics to Native Americans, far deadlier than conflict or conquest. Diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza swept through communities lacking immunity, erasing entire villages. Historians estimate that up to 90% of the Indigenous population died within a century of first contact—a tragedy rarely emphasized in textbooks. For more on the sweeping impact of smallpox, see the CDC’s timeline.
