Quote:
Originally posted by Gattigap
True. Did the settlers understand that they were conveying diseases, though?
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In at least one case, yes, apparently.
"After first contacts with Europeans and Africans, the death of a large part of the native population of the New World was caused by Old World diseases. Smallpox was the chief culprit. On at least one occasion, germ warfare was attempted by the British Army under Jeffrey Amherst when two smallpox-infected blankets were deliberately given to representatives of the besieging Delaware Indians during Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763. That Amherst intended to spread the disease to the natives is not doubted by historians; whether or not the attempt succeeded is a matter of debate."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox
Also, I think if you look at the proportion of Euro pop killed by smoking vs. proportion of Native American pop killed by smallpox, you could slap that asshole silly.
