During the 1500's and 1600's what was the major cause of the death among Native Americans in the New World?

Answer 1

Smallpox was a huge culprit even before the Pilgrims landed. European traders and fishermen who visited North America, especially New England after initial expeditions by Hawkins, Vespucci etc. brought the deadly virus to coastal tribes in New England. These traders also kidnapped Native Americans like Squanto who was taken to England but escaped on a voyage back to the "New World" and was there to help the Pilgrims. Later, after years of semi-peaceful coexistence King Phillips War came about as the English colonists in New England pushed into the interior and took sides in Native conflicts. The result was the utter defeat of tribes indigenous to New England though for almost 2 centuries tribes like the MicMac and Abenaki, allied with the French in Canada and Acadia, would raid the villages of northern New England. When the American Revolution finally began in the late 18th century New England had well-established militias, a result of 150 years of wars with Native American tribes, both from within the region or from Canada. Lexington and Concord evidenced this. While there are still small pockets of Native New Englanders in New England many have been homogenized into the mainstream Anglo population or simply ceased to exist as a result of warfare and disease. It is unfortunate that later interactions of Native Americans with Europeans seemed to have learned nothing from the New England experience. In NY State, the Ohio River Valley , the Carolinas and the Old Northwest Native Americans seemed to have learned little about the land greed, treachery and militant response of the encroaching whites from the New England experience and as a consequence fell victim as well.

Answer 2

The leading cause of death among the Indians of the Americas, Was Infections and diseases brought by the Europeans

Answer 3

I think because of diseases and starvation