Loading...Guns, germs, and steel; we all have heard of this phrase, summing up the reasons why the Spanish and other European powers could so easily defeat the native peoples of the Americas. And while guns and steel are a big part of that equation, germs have killed tens of millions of people in the Americas since the arrival of the European explorers, much more than guns or steel ever could have. With smallpox, influenza, the bubonic plague and other deadly diseases in their toolbox, the Europeans plowed through North and South America like a hot knife through butter, spreading their culture, knowledge, and influence all throughout the continents. But all this talk of the European’s deadly diseases certainly begs the question: why didn’t the Americas have its own plagues to fight back with?
This interesting question is answered in great detail in today’s featured video by CGP Grey, and as it turns out, it’s more complicated than you might think. From local wildlife to how civilization developed in the two hemispheres, the reason why the people of the Americas didn’t have plagues of their own is not only an interesting and captivating tale, but it is explained very well in this great video.