The conquest of the Americas by Europeans lead to the deaths of millions of Native peoples because they were not immune to their diseases. Were there any illnesses that spread to Europe as a result of contact between these two groups?

by [deleted]

[deleted]

jschooltiger

  1. Yes, there were indigenous diseases that affected Europeans -- check this section of our FAQ for more on the topic.

  2. Disease was a major killer of some native populations, but the depopulation of the Americas was a result of deliberate genocide on the part of colonizers. See:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6kywre/monday_methods_american_indian_genocide_denial/

and

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6mg3j3/monday_methods_american_indian_genocide_denial/

for more.