Disease in the Age of Exploration

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the illness and disease that accompanied the exploration of America. It investigates through the books "The Longest Voyage" by Silverberg, "Pastwatch the Redemption of Christopher Columbus" by Card and "The Conquest of New Spain" by Diaz, which provide insight into the profound human loss from diseases, such as malnutrition, scurvy and syphilis.

From the Paper:

"Sickness and disease existed as an every day reality during the time of travel and exploration to America and New Spain. Though the onset of illness would cause the death of many men and slow down the progress of the explorers, disease did not ultimately defeat the foreign visitors. If, during the time of exploration, no sickness and disease existed, it is likely that the explorers would have conquered much quicker and with greater force. In the readings of "The Longest Voyage," "Pastwatch the Redemption of Christopher Columbus" and "The Conquest of New Spain" the reader catches glimpses of the impact of disease on the progress of exploration. Not one person was necessarily immune to disease and sickness. Some were just lucky whereas others were not. As much as the native people suffered from diseases brought to their homeland by European explorers, so too were European explorers infected by diseases of malnutrition, scurvy and syphilis resulting from their voyages and conquests. Though many might argue that the Native peoples were most drastically affected by the plagues of European men, the Europeans were as equally affected by the plagues of the New World."

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