HLTB21H3 Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Smallpox
Document Summary
Textbook chapter 9: smallpox, the spotted plague (191) Smallpox killed the aztecs in the war between cortes (spaniards) and aztecs. In 1520, an expedition led by panfilo de narveez arrived from spanish cuba; among the crew was a smallpox- infected slave. From this initial infection, smallpox spread from village to village throughout the yucatan famine and havoc resulted. In the time of cortes , 3 million amerindians, 1/3 of total of mexico, were killed by smallpox. Smallpox also affected the battle between francisco pizarro (spanish) and atahualpa (inca empire) in 1532 because smallpox wiped out most of the inca empire in 1526 and they were vulnerable for pizarro. Smallpox spread in advance of the spaniards" entry into mexico and peru. Disease moved ahead of the spanish and, in effect, smallpox cleared the way. In the 20th century only, smallpox killed 300 million people 3x the # of deaths from all 20th century wars.