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Why Did Disease Devastate Native Americans—but Not European Colonists? | Charles C. Mann
08/05/2026
Why Did Disease Devastate Native Americans—but Not European Colonists? | Charles C. Mann
Guns, germs and steel. Emphasis on GERMS. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought all sorts of diseases! A listener asks: Why did diseases like smallpox devastate Native American populations but not European colonists? Was it simply a lack of immunity, or is the story more complicated? To get answers, Bob calls up bestselling author and journalist Charles C. Mann, author of 1491 and 1493, to explore one of the most consequential—and misunderstood—chapters in American history. Together they discuss: • What North America looked like before Columbus • Why Native societies were far larger and more sophisticated than many people realize • How diseases such as smallpox, malaria, and yellow fever spread across the Americas • The role of immunity, genetics, and prior exposure • The Great Dying in New England before the Pilgrims arrived • How epidemics shaped the fall of the Aztec and Inca empires • The connection between disease and the transatlantic slave trade • Why historians estimate that Indigenous populations declined dramatically after European contact This fascinating conversation reveals how microbes became one of the most powerful forces in American history—and why understanding disease helps us better understand colonization, survival, and the world we live in today. Guest: Charles C. Mann, author of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
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