Hispaniola Research Paper

The island of Hispaniola was the first New World colony settled by Spain. The island was first sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and the land was inhibited by a friendly Indian tribe called the Tainos (Arawaks), who welcomed Columbus and his crew. Shortly after discovering the New World, Columbus also discovered something else: gold. With gold in mind, Columbus made his journey back to Spain to inform others of the good news. On his second fleet, 1500 Europeans ventured to the island as well, lured by the promise of wealth. Little did the newcomers, as well as the inhabitants know, their lives would be at risk. In addition to malnutrition and being maltreated, disease was brought over from the Old World to the New World by Columbus and his crew and ultimately diminished the entire Taino tribe, as well as killed many others in the process. It will never be known exactly how many people died, …show more content…
Estimates for the population of the Caribbean in 1492 have varied enormously and the debate regarding the number of Tainos when Columbus first arrived is unresolved, however, the Tainos were among the most densely settled sedentary societies in the Americas. Regardless of the amount of Tainos living in the New World, the stunning reduction in their numbers was the most shocking repercussion of European contact. Not only did the Tainos suffer, but the invaders were also affected from many epidemic outbreaks. Of the 1500 men traveling from the Old World to the New World, it is said that only about 200 of them were alive a decade later. Typhus was one of the first diseases to be introduced to the New World by the Europeans. This disease is contracted by lice and fleas and had arguably become the first deadly disease in the New World. It had a monumental impact on the lives of Native Americans, Europeans as well as within