Smallpox in

1
Smallpox in Colonial America
2
European and Native Americans

• Smallpox not only killed innumerable Native
  Americans, but also Europeans.
• It was so spread throughout the population of
  Europe that practically everyone had suffered the
  loss of a loved one, to surviving it.
• In America, some entire Native American villages
  were completely wiped out.
• Since the disease was so powerful it effected
  both European and Native American economies,
  religions, politics, and accepted medical
  practices.

3
Disease Origins

• The disease is transmitted through the air or by
  coming into contact with an object that was used
  by an infected person.
• After incubating for 12 days, the first symptoms
  are either back ache, high fever, chills, or a
  headache.
• By the 4th day the traditional red rash develops,
  and pus spots develop on the skin.
• If the patient survives into the 9th day, scabs
  will fall off, and leave large/deep scars.

4
Native American Treatment

• Not many methods were recorded because the
  Natives believed that medicinal knowledge was
  sacred.
• Many cultures used the sweat lodge for treatment,
  but this only caused the patient to become
  dehydrated and to come into close contact with
  others.
• A dip in cold water often followed the lodge and
  the change in temperature caused shock, or even
  cardiac arrest.
• The Cherokees developed a dance in order to avoid
  the disease.
• Entire families became infected as they tried to
  care for their loved ones in any way that they
  could.

5
European Treatment

• The best treatment for patients was to keep them
  cool with ice for their fever and water to keep
  up their immune systems. Patients were often
  isolated from the rest of the community in order
  to prevent the disease from spreading.
• The Ancient Chinese developed the first way to
  prevent the disease by taking pus from an
  infected patient and putting it into an open
  wound of a non-infected patient.
• This treatment was highly dangerous because the
  inoculated patient could develop the disease and
  die from it, and infect others who would have
  been healthy otherwise.
• In 1796, an English medical student Edward
  Jenner, realized that cowpox was a milder form of
  smallpox and inoculated his patients with matter
  from infected persons with positive results.

6
Native American Consequences

• Population decline in the millions is an obvious
  consequence, but others were just as devastating.
• Suicides were not uncommon as husbands, wives,
  and parents could not cope.
• Population regeneration was slow because those
  who survived the ailment suffered from impotence
  or could not secure a significant other due to
  severe scaring and blindness associated with the
  disease.

7
Native American Consequences (Politics)

• The British and the French tried to persuade them
  to believe that the other had brought the disease
  and to join their side. Some tribes refused to
  deal with Europeans simply because they carried
  the disease.
• Some tribal leaders were divided over whether to
  accept European treatments or remain faithful to
  traditional forms.
• In another way- blankets from infected patients
  were given to a Native tribe by Europeans in
  order to kill them off easier instead of fighting
  the Natives.

8
Native American Consequences (culture)

• Since so many died, some were completely lost.
  Craftsmanship decreased as artisans died off too
  quickly to teach new generations their crafts.
• Some Natives believed that members of their
  culture were witches who had brought the sickness
  to their tribe and persecuted their own people.
• The Iroquois were so stricken with the disease
  that they actually went to war with other Natives
  to capture people and take them into their
  culture in order to replace those who had died.
• Villages were either burned or simply abandoned.

9
Native American Consequences (Religion)

• Natives believed that the disease was caused
  because of improprieties committed by members and
  that the Gods were punishing them.
• But when there was no end in sight to the
  disease, some gave up on their religion, and
  accepted Christianity when priests came and
  inoculated members.
• Ceremonies developed in order to specifically get
  rid of the Smallpox Spirit.
• The purpose and basis for traditional ceremonies
  that were still held in some villages was lost
  because all of the old men had died and could not
  tell the younger generation.

10
Conclusion

• Native Americans received treatment in the form
  of knowledge and inoculation from European
  Americans.
• As time progressed, the disease became less
  devastating. Smallpox was just one type of
  disease that Natives suffered from.
• Warfare, alcoholism, land removal acts,
  depression, along with disease were major factors
  in population destruction as well.

11
Assignments

• Students get into groups of 4 and sit on one side
  of the class. Their task is to develop a disease
  and have the other side of the class figure out a
  way to cure it.
• Students research other diseases that European
  and Native Americans suffered from and compare
  and contrast how the two groups handled the
  epidemics.
• Students compose a half-page journal entries as a
  European and Native American facing a smallpox
  epidemic in either their village or town.
• Students write a reflective half-page answer on
  the following question, If an epidemic of this
  proportion were to happen in todays world, how
  would society react?

12
Sources

• Encyclopedia Americana. Smallpox. Grolier
  Incorporated, Danbury, Connecticut. 1990.
• Halverson, Melissa Sue. Native American Beliefs
  and Medical Treatments During Smallpox Epidemics
  an Evolution. Internet Essay
• www.earlyamerica.com/review/2007_summer_fall/nativ
  e-americans-smallpox.html.
• Through Indian Eyes the Untold Story of Native
  American Peoples. Readers Digest Association.
  Pleasantville, New York. 1995.