Small Pox Dbq

Smallpox is an acute contagious disease cause by the variola virus, a member of the poxvirus family. The only host of this disease is through human. It is transmitted through close contact. The name smallpox is derived from Latin word for “spotted” and then refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected person. There are two kinds of smallpox; Variola major and Variola minor. Variola major is the most severe one and most common smallpox with extensive rash and high fever. Both cause skin lesions though the symptoms of the Variola minor are considerably fatal. The symptoms of smallpox are as follows; high fever, fatigue, vomiting, headaches. In addition, a rash on the face, arms and legs and other parts of the body

are also signs and symptoms shown by an infected person with this disease.
The question is where and how did the spread of the disease spread around.

According to Linda Newson, “population size is critical for understanding the incidence of infection. Since endemic infections are characterized by latency and recurrence” . Here I will argue that highly dense population and slavery created conditions extremely favorable for the transmission of smallpox, and that it created huge impact on Spanish conquest. Did slavery and highly dense population increase in the spread of smallpox or it goes beyond these measures? The beginning of smallpox as a character illness is lost in ancient times. It is believed to have appeared in around 10,000BC, around the same time of the first agricultural settlement in northeastern Africa. “It appears conceivable that it spread from that point to India by method of aged Egyptian dealers. The earliest evidence of skin lesions resembling those of smallpox is found on faces of mummies from the time of the 18th and 20th Egyptian Dynasties (1570–1085 BC). Unknown in the New World, smallpox was introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors.” (Edward

Jenner).
The disease crushed the nearby population and was instrumental in the fall of the domains of the Aztecs and the Incas. Essentially, on the eastern shoreline of North America, the disease was presented by the early pilgrims and prompted a decrease in the local population. The creation of crowded centers throughout Africa, India and the Americas provided a breeding ground for infectious diseases such as smallpox. The great explorations and subsequent migrations of Europeans to the America also opened up those fatal impacts of the infectious diseases. Smallpox is also a perfect example of health disaster directly caused by the colonist. International traders can be blamed for this outbreak of disease that occurred because importations of goods such slaves during the colonial times aid in the worsening of the spread of the disease smallpox.
First and foremost, although colonial expansion was a cause to the spread of this disease, it was for a good cause. To back up this point on why I think so, according to the article Perspective on Epidemic Disease by Linda Newson, “Colonial expansion did not only bring epidemic diseases, it established new trading networks and patterns of migration that facilitated their spread, while it transformed native economies and societies in ways that affected their impact” . In a way I agree with Linda’s point of view on this because, if colonial expansion never happened there would not be sometime as trade networks. Another point Linda made was also that, because colonial empires often sought to captures sources of labor, their efforts were concentrated on where there were dense native population. This also means that, in order for colonist to capture labor, they had to go to places where population was high. If highly dense population was the way trading networks could establish quickly, why the colonist or explorers never took into consideration on how to protect themselves or the people before any importations or trading was done is still a mystery. Linda also made another point about that “It is not only population size and distribution per se that are important in understanding the spread of disease, but also the geographical location of communities and the character and intensity of contacts between them.”
In my opinion on the point Linda made in the article, I strongly agree with her in a way and also disagree with her. I strongly agree with her point because, most diseases are not spread through highly dense populations; temperature and humidity can also cause to spread of disease but not in this situation where smallpox is mostly spread through close contact with other who is been infected by the disease. Smallpox affected all levels of the society. In the 18th century in Europe about 400,000 people died annually of smallpox and one third of its survivors went blind. The death case in infants was even higher approaching 80% in London. Historically 30% of cases progressed to death. It was known to be the single deadliest disease during the 18th century, which striked commoners and even royals. The smallpox came to the new world in the late 1400’s and early 1500’s.
Smallpox erupted in Mexico in the 1520. Eruptions of the disease killed thousands, and even tens of thousands. Total deaths of smallpox deaths probably exceeded those cause by the many invasions, wars and revolutions that affected the city. It was believe that the age of transmission of the disease into Mexico was one Francisco Eugia, a black slave. This is where I will argue my point that slave trade also provided excellent condition for spreading smallpox. Europeans saw advantages in using Africans in the Americas. First many Africans had been exposed to European diseases and had built up some immunity. The conditions on slave ships were conducive to diseases such as smallpox. The disease contributed to high mortality rate on slave ships which was about 20%, this means slaves were packed like sardine. Though slave trade caused most spread of the smallpox disease, most of the slaves died due the condition on the ships. Certain areas in the new world that this disease also had an impact were in the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba to mention a few.
Furthermore Colombian exchange, a trade route from Europe to the new world made it possible for the transfer of smallpox.

Many of the Aztecs had fallen ill or died from smallpox, which was said to have brought over by slave abroad Cortes’s ship. Certain conditions in Mexico made are worse for the high death rate from this disease. The spread of the smallpox appeared to have been aggravated by the extreme climatic conditions of the time and by the poor living conditions and harsh treatment by the native people. The Mexican natives were treated virtually as slaves, they were poorly fed and clothed and were greatly overworked on farms as laborers. This harsh treatment appears to have left them very exposed to the epidemic

disease.
In a nutshell, smallpox had a cause a great damage to many societies in the 16th century. This fact shows how a big factor the disease played on the conquest of the Aztec empire.

Bibliography
Fenner, F. L. "Smallpox and its eradication." Population biology of infectious disease, 1970: 78-89.
Jenner, Edward. History of smallpox and vaccination. Dallas,Texas, january 18, 2005.
Newson, Linda. "A historical-ecological perspective on epidemic disease”, ." Latin American research Review, 1992: 245-248.