A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico Essay

When the Europeans defeated the colonies, they brought with them different things in the new world. For example, when the Spaniards defeated the colonies, they brought plants, animals, weeds, and diseases. The conquerors also brought with them other pathogens to the world. The introduction of the news species spread and occupied the new territories. Diseases such as influenza and influenza swept through the new territories and devastated communities. The diseases and the epidemics caused the population to reduce further for the next hundred years. The diseases that were caused by the invasion of the Europeans meant that there would be little resistance from the invaders. People were suffering from diseases that they could not cure while other people were dying. The result was a reduction of the population of the indigenous population. The colonial time was a period where people believed in religion. People such as the governor of Mississippi was quoted as saying the death of the natives was the work of God. According to the colonialist, the plagues, anthrax and the other diseases were not as a result of their invasion. The diseases that plagued the nation was the work of God. The British did not want to believe that they were the cause of the misery. They, therefore, looked for an excuse to the break out of the disease. The grazing animals caused a lot of destruction and even affected the natives livestock. Since the Europeans had vaccines, their livestock did not perish. The only people who bore the brunt of the colonization were the natives.

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The new pathogens introduced in the colonies also had an adverse effect on the plants. The native plants and the soil had not acquired immunity to the new diseases that were brought by the Europeans. There was a rapid decline of native plants in areas that the colonialist had occupied. The devastation of the plants was repeated after every few years. Before the soil and the native plants could gain immunity, the colonialist had been able to succeed in introducing their own plantation. Some of the farmers in the colonized land had also given up on the native plants. The farmers saw the colonial food and plants as a better option against the diseases and pests. Because of this acceptance, the British and the Spaniards were able to convince people t engage in the European farming practice.

The belief in superstition was also a critical tool in the conquering of the new world. People in areas that were occupied by the British and the Europeans believed in supernatural powers and superstitions. The outbreak of the diseases that were brought by the Europeans was a new phenomenon in the new world. Some people were able to be cured while most of them died. Since the people did not know what was happening, they resorted to magical beliefs. Some people believed the area they were living in is cursed and fled the area. Such people went to other villages and spread the disease in those areas. The result was a devastation of an entire population and an easy rein of the Europeans. The Europeans believed that there was a divine will that made it possible for them to rule by having disease infect the natives. On the other hand, the natives believed the land had become cursed and needed to leave the place. Both the assertions were wrong but they all helped in the colonization of the native land.

Works Cited

Melville, E. G. A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico. Cambridge University Press, 2012.