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Question 12 refers to the image below—a 16th century image that portrays the imp...

Oct 5, 2023

Question 12 refers to the image below—a 16th century image that portrays the impact of smallpox on the Aztec population. Why did the Native American people lack immunity to European diseases? A Unlike Europeans, indigenous peoples had not developed vaccines. B Most Indigenous peoples did not live in urban areas and had few domesticated animals, which meant they did not develop a resistance to many animal-borne illnesses. C Indigenous peoples were physically inferior to Europeans and often became ill. D Indigenous peoples died because they suffered divine retribution for refusing to convert to Christianity.

Key Concept

KC-1.2.II: The Columbian Exchange led to new ways of humans interacting with their environments. New mixed economies and systems of labor, such as the encomienda and hacienda systems, evolved in the Americas.

Explanation

The Native American people lacked immunity to European diseases primarily because they had not been exposed to them before. Most Indigenous peoples did not live in urban areas and had few domesticated animals, which meant they did not develop a resistance to many animal-borne illnesses. This is a part of the larger concept of the Columbian Exchange, where not only goods, but diseases were exchanged between the Old World and the New World, leading to drastic population changes.

Why did the Columbian Exchange impact the Native American population?, What is the Columbian Exchange?, How did the environment affect the spread of diseases?