Why did the USA give smallpox poisoned blankets to Indians?

I think the answer is pretty obvious...

Why did the USA give smallpox poisoned blankets to Indians?
Maybe government experimentation
Reply:Never heard that but um... prolly an accident
Reply:Oh yeah mean 300 years ago when we didn't know what the hell small pox was?
Reply:Yeah, like he said, "pretty obvious". To kill them. Its called genocide.
Reply:Thanks.What part did Black Africans played in the killing of Indians(in the Carabians)
Reply:to make them sick and weaken their forces. Beware gifts from your enemies.





Why are the Russians purposely depressing the price of palladium in the world markets? (hmmm maybe because we will be using a LOT more of it in the production of clean cars in the next few years.)





You use whatever edge you have to subvert long term enemies during peace times-- this is basic strategy.
Reply:In the early 19th century, we got on a kick of 'manifest destiny'. We believed it was our destiny to take over the whole continent, all the way west to the Pacific Ocean.





Some American politicians and spiritual leaders actually believed this was God's will. In fact there were politicians in the early days of America who actually preached that God was killing the Indians off with diseases like smallpox, measles, influenza, etc.--diseases that we had built up immunities to--to make room for us to take over their land!





Under the circumstances, infecting Indians with smallpox was seen as a patriotic gesture!
Reply:The USA didn't exist yet. The explorers traded blankets for items the Indians had. The explorers were immune to smallpox but were carriers. The Indians had never been exposed to the virus, so had no immunity. It was not done on purpose.
Reply:That would have been British soldiers, not the USA. The Native Americans had attacked the British.
Reply:They didn't. This is a maliciously spread accusation that isn't true.





There is no doubt that Smallpox was a European disease that the Indians had no natural resistance to, nor that it decimated the plains Indians, but there is no truth at all to the myth of the deliberate distribution of smallpox blankets. In fact, one of the worst problems was caused by the government vaccinating Indians AGAINST smallpox..... they didn't realize that the vaccine, made from cowpox which was a minor illness to Europeans, was almost as deadly to Indians who'd never contacted cowpox as smallpox was.





Here..... http://www.thefurtrapper.com/indian_smal... is an excellent article about the effect of smallpox on the Indians.





Richard
Reply:because at that time americans were suffering from severe crisis of foods and resources...and also many were infected from severe diseases..





on the other hand, india was one of the richest continents..


as soon as it was discovered.. the americans wanted to take control over their rich and fertile land and also mineral resources..so as indians had not seen the smallpox and had no immunity against it...the americans took advantage of it and when indians exported them pure goods and spices..the americans used to give all these to indians!!!
Reply:Smallpox normally spreads from contact with infected persons. Generally, direct and fairly prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread smallpox from one person to another. Smallpox also can be spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. (from CDC website)





While it can be spread from blankets %26amp; bedsheets,


it is highly unlikely, as the disease does not live too long


in that type of environment.....





I think your question is based on an alledged misconception
Reply:The question could be why do so many of you presume it wasn't done intentionally I mean the facts are there hoarding people into reservations and then the final solutions don't believe your ancestors are the noble heroes that you make them out to be they didn't sail so far to just turn around and say somebody already lives here we'll leave it to them. Ignorance can be bliss to some but you can't truly progress as a Nation in the eyes of the world still protesting such ignorance. No wonder half of you think all Muslims are terrorists the evidence for genocide by Europeans across the globe is blatantly obvious.
Reply:It wa only one tool in the box for the genocidal maniacs, call them Christian freaks and mass murderers. Gifts with disease for the men, women and children.





Life is fair. All Europeans will remember that as they laying dying, the deaths of rotting carcasses. Centuries of vast and incalculable horrendous crimes will come home to roost.





Europe has feasted on the resources of the planet and the heads of its babies.
Reply:Yes there are some well documented cases through early American history. It was not just smallpox but many other diseases. But it was a crime of opportunity and you had to have an infected community nearby and use their blankets...... there was no fedex.





What killed a far more vast amount of natives in all of the americas was contact. Natives had no immunity to european diseases.