The vast majority of Native Americans that died in the centuries following Columbus's landfall were victims of:
A) diseases like smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria.
B) starvation.
C) enslavement.
D) European weapons and techniques of warfare.
E) intertribal conflict.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought with them numerous diseases, such as smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria, that the Native Americans had not been previously exposed to or developed immunity against. As a result, the vast majority of Native Americans who died in the centuries following Columbus's landfall did so as a result of these diseases, which decimated entire populations. Estimates suggest that the population of the Americas declined by as much as 90% within the first century of European contact.

The Vast Majority of Native Americans That Died in the Centuries