Animals, (fauna) as is was described in the Crosby’s book, impacted the New World in many different ways. Some of the ways in which the animals effected the New World were, the transformation influence of the grasslands and labor. Horses, ox, and ass were not in the New World. “The Indian as a farmer was impressive as any in the world, but he was very unimpressive as a domesticator of animals.” (Crosby pg. 74) The American Indian was one use human labor then to allow animals to labor for him. Before Columbus introduced the European animals the American Indian had the dog, two different species of South American camel (the llama and the alpaca), the guinea pig and several different variety of fowls. On his second voyage, in 1493, Columbus introduced many different varieties of European animals. He brought with him Horses, sheep, goats, two types of pigs (Swine and Bore) cattle, and chickens. With this introduction of these animals to the American Indians, it introduced a new form of labor and means of transportation as well as food sources for the American Indians. The one animal that reproduced the fastest was the pigs. “As the number of humans plummeted, the population of imported domesticated animals shot upward. The first contingent of horses, dogs, pigs, cattle, chicken and sheep arrived with Columbus on the second voyage in …show more content…
Many of the early knowledge of diseases that were discussed and written in journals by witnesses were diseases that were exchanged from Europe to the American Natives. “The migration of man and his maladies in the chief cause of epidemics. And when migration takes place, those creatures who have beer genetic material has been least tempered by the variety of world disease.” (Crosby pg 37) Many of the diseases transported from the Old World to the New World were Small Pox, Measles, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Influenza, and Chicken pox. Some of the New World Diseases were Syphilis, Polio, Hepatitis, and Encephalitis. But the one disease that was discussed the most in greater detail in his book was Syphilis. Crosby stated, “Syphilis has a special fascination for the historian because of all mankind’s most important maladies, it is the most uniquely ‘historical.’ The beginnings of most diseases lie beyond man’s earliest rememberings. Syphilis, on the other hand, has a beginning.” (Crosby pg. 123) Because of this notion it was believed that the origination of the syphilis was created by the sexual transfers from the European explorers and the Native American. It was discussed that the Native American people were not monogamists but believe in having multiple partners. Although, in the Native