With no respect for social class, occupation, or age, smallpox killed and disfigured kings and queens, children and adults, rich and poor alike (Artifact 4 sheet). Similar to the plague, smallpox was indiscriminate, unforgiving, and ruthless. Intertwined with the war, exploitation, and migration, smallpox changed the course of world history; without it, outcomes of the world would have been unrecognizable. The disease affected the course of British, European, and American history, effecting immunologically virgin communities, trade, and battles (Artifact 4 sheet).
As Spanish conquerors invaded the New World in the 1500s, smallpox aided in the subjugation of the Amerindians. Unknown to the natives, exposure to this disease was deadly. And With no immunity towards it, smallpox drastically weakened the once powerful force; contributing to the settlement of North America (slides 15-16). The lost in accordance to the disease, sparked the need for a larger labor force, instigating the enslavement of West Africans who were regarded as ‘immune’ to the disease (slide 17).
In the early 1760s, smallpox was used as biological warfare. In hopes spreading the disease, the British gave gifts from smallpox infirmaries to nearby native tribes (slide 18). This caused prominent health issues during and after the Revolutionary war (slide 94), which hindered the Americans’ ability to conquer lands. As problems ensued because of bio-warfare, George Washington recommended inoculation for preventive measures (slides 95-96). Such procedures (and other various remedies) were conducted until the introduction of the smallpox vaccine in 1796, that inoculated a person with cowpox to gain immunity towards smallpox.
By striking at various important points in history, smallpox indisputably wreaked havoc for centuries. Tales of its horror have been documented in multiple countries and languages. Clearly insinuating the drastic effects, it had on our world. Though heartbreaking, without smallpox, or other diseases/viruses, our world would be drastically different. We would not be as aware or knowledgeable in this field and would not have developed our preventive measures.
Help Received: PPT (Smallpox – The Speckled Monster), Smallpox Documentary (Is Smallpox Still a Threat?), Cadet Jones (structure and organization of information), Dictionary/Thesaurus