The colonizing of North America, especially in the first century after its “discovery,” was often done by settlers moving into empty land. Except that the only reason it was empty is the inhabitants had already been killed by disease brought by the Spanish. Within 150 years after contact, the population of the Americas was reduced by 93%.
additionally, eurocentric world views tend to see nomadic people as less than. for the Apache, Blackfoot, Comanche, Crow, Lakota, Nez Perce, Ojibwe, Sioux, and i’m sure many others, that “empty” land didn’t look empty at all, even with their numbers reduced
the time period @FlyingCircus@lemmy.world is referencing predates America existingt as an idependent entity by about 2 centuries. the original rape of Turtle Island was a collaborative effort between the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English primarily. groups from Germany, Denmark, Scotland (which wasn’t yet unified with England), and Polish-Lithuania were also involved
Oh I did not mean to imply that colonizers didn’t actively murder as well, but manifest destiny was a couple of centuries after the period that I’m talking about.
The colonizing of North America, especially in the first century after its “discovery,” was often done by settlers moving into empty land. Except that the only reason it was empty is the inhabitants had already been killed by disease brought by the Spanish. Within 150 years after contact, the population of the Americas was reduced by 93%.
additionally, eurocentric world views tend to see nomadic people as less than. for the Apache, Blackfoot, Comanche, Crow, Lakota, Nez Perce, Ojibwe, Sioux, and i’m sure many others, that “empty” land didn’t look empty at all, even with their numbers reduced
Yes, I was also thinking of that. Very common for colonizers to arrive in seasonally-used lands and think they were empty until the natives showed up.
It is factually incorrect that it was all disease. America actively committed a violent genocide and murdered millions.
the time period @FlyingCircus@lemmy.world is referencing predates America existingt as an idependent entity by about 2 centuries. the original rape of Turtle Island was a collaborative effort between the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English primarily. groups from Germany, Denmark, Scotland (which wasn’t yet unified with England), and Polish-Lithuania were also involved
Oh I did not mean to imply that colonizers didn’t actively murder as well, but manifest destiny was a couple of centuries after the period that I’m talking about.