Globalization and disease Spanish soldiers introduced smallpox by contact with natives of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. A devastating epidemic broke out among the indigenous people, killing thousands. In 1617, smallpox reached Massachusetts, probably brought by earlier explorers to Nova Scotia, Canada.” By 1638 the disease had broken out among people in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1721 people fled the city after an outbreak, but the residents spread the disease to others throughout the thirteen colonies. Smallpox broke out in six separate epidemics in the United States through 1968. The smallpox vaccine was developed in 1798 by Edward Jenner. By 1979 the disease had been
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies been accused by many scholars about making exaggerated claims in terms of the death toll and mistreatment of the indigenous people. Today, it is known that Old World diseases and the lack of immunity caused a large number of indigenous deaths. The reason why De Las Casas did not mention the number of indigenous deaths caused by old world diseases is not a political one. During the 1400s, people did not know what caused disease or how it spread. The discovery of germs wasn't until the 1500s, and their association with diseases was not even accepted by the medical profession