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[Sirus]

If the video games are anything like an accurate representation of the books, "Geralt gets around" seems to be a common theme in the Witcherverse.

[Descan]

Slaves

True but wouldn't working a slave to death be like crashing a new car? Slaves weren't exactly cheap and if a plantation goes through them too fast it wouldn't make any profit.
Then you have the average lifespan in the "pirate" era bieng pretty short even for free people because the curealls were either bloodletting or amputation.

and death in childbirth

average lifespan is a lie

[Graknorke]

average lifespan is a lie

I don't get it.

[scrdest]

average lifespan is a lie

I don't get it.

The average lifespan is dragged down by early childhood deaths, which far outweigh the opposite extreme.

[Akura]

And yeah... native americans were treated like complete shit. If i remember my history book correctly the average lifespan of enslaved natives was something about 25 years... it didn't really delve into why but a drawing showing Spaniards sicing dogs on natives is probably a sufficient answer.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Disease, mostly. The introduction of European diseases to this side of the Atlantic was pretty much an apocalypse for the natives, and that was before we started shooting them.

Natives were also considered a poor choice for slaves, especially on the mainland. They knew the land, and it was easier to slip off into the night, and find shelter with their own or a friendly/sympathetic people.


EDIT: Oh joy, my stepdad is going on a tantrum about how he's going kick both me and his own son out. No idea what prompted this.

[Sonlirain]

If the video games are anything like an accurate representation of the books, "Geralt gets around" seems to be a common theme in the Witcherverse.

Well Considering that the Aguara (name of the monsters race) is literally a Dwarf Fortress night creature that kidnaps kids (Elven girls to be more exact) and transforms them into another Aguara.
You could say Geralt scored a combo because he spent the night with a kitsune, elf and a night creature all rolled in one.

Disease, mostly. The introduction of European diseases to this side of the Atlantic was pretty much an apocalypse for the natives, and that was before we started shooting them.

That makes me wonder... if europeans dragged in all those diseases how come europeans didn't catch some serious indian malady in return. it's not like america was safe and sterile...

[GiglameshDespair]

If the video games are anything like an accurate representation of the books, "Geralt gets around" seems to be a common theme in the Witcherverse.

Well Considering that the Aguara (name of the monsters race) is literally a Dwarf Fortress night creature that kidnaps kids (Elven girls to be more exact) and transforms them into another Aguara.
You could say Geralt scored a combo because he spent the night with a kitsune, elf and a night creature all rolled in one.

Disease, mostly. The introduction of European diseases to this side of the Atlantic was pretty much an apocalypse for the natives, and that was before we started shooting them.

That makes me wonder... if europeans dragged in all those diseases how come europeans didn't catch some serious indian malady in return. it's not like america was safe and sterile...

They almost certainly did, but probably more europeans showed up to keep numbers up.

[Amperzand]

Syphilis was but one of several delightful ailments from the New World.

[IcyTea31]

That makes me wonder... if europeans dragged in all those diseases how come europeans didn't catch some serious indian malady in return. it's not like america was safe and sterile...

The Europeans had superior medicine and sparse enough population to prevent large scale outbreaks, I would say. And there most likely were plagues wiping out entire small towns, but they weren't deemed notable enough to get their place in history, especially with the Manifest Destiny propaganda.

[Lord Shonus]

That makes me wonder... if europeans dragged in all those diseases how come europeans didn't catch some serious indian malady in return. it's not like america was safe and sterile...

Compared to Europe, it was. Due to factors such as widespread animal domestication, extremely dense population clusters, and widespread trade networks Europeans were exposed to far, far more pathogens on a daily basis than most Amerindians were, and most of the major killing diseases (most notably smallpox, measles, and influenza) were originally found in Europe, Asia, or Africa.

AFAIK, the only truly deadly disease found only in the Americas per-Columbus was the aforementioned syphilis , which did kill more Europeans (in absolute terms, as percentages of the population there was no comparison) than smallpox and measles did Amerindians.

[Sonlirain]

Yeah but it didn't transmit as rapidly as it did among indians. Granted european colonists probably were giving them smallpox ridden blankets from the very begining to accelerate that but how come there was no serious outbreaks on the europeans side with some kind of plague getting transported back to england or spain. Maybe even getting black death grade death tolls.
But nothing of that matter happened while natives were dropping like flies.

Allright. So we got Syphilis in return... well... looks like raping indians was not a good idea but they did it anyway. Serves them right i guess.

[Amperzand]

The New World just didn't have much in the way of pandemic disease.

[redwallzyl]

this is the answer you are looking for.
CGP grey video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEYh5WACqEk

[Lord Shonus]

giving them smallpox ridden blankets from the very begining to accelerate that

Evidence suggests that that happened exactly once - at the seige of Fort Pitt in 1763. Based on the documentation from this event, it was a new idea, and it also appears to have greatly worsened the existing outbreak among the British garrison. While it undoubtedly happened, and may have occurred a few times that aren't recorded, there is no evidence whatsoever that it was a common practice, or that it had happened that early, particularly since it wasn't until the mid 1700s that there was significant hostility and hatred between the Old World settlers and the natives - there were wars with specific tribes (particularly those allied to European enemies), but there is little to suggest that this had hardened into race hatred at the time.

Meanwhile, syphilis was almost certainly NOT contracted through rape - the Amerindians (and, for that matter, the Europeans) had very different sexual mores than today, and by all accounts they were quite willing to party with the foreigners. Again, the stereotypical "slaughter and rape" attitude toward the natives belonged to a much later period.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Syphilis is some crazy shit, specifically tertiary syphilis. That takes years of infection to develop, but it's essentially living death. I wouldn't advise looking up pictures.