Columbus as scapegoat

History tells us that the conquerors of the New World carried many a contagious disease unknown to the native Indians killing millions of them. It was not only the cruel murder, slavery but the “white colonist’s” diseases as well that brought the native populace at the brink of extinction. Recent history tells us that the natives hit back as well.

Artist-impression of Columbus taking possession of the New World
chrome-litho by the Prang Education Company in 1893

A new released study determines that Columbus brought the disease syphilis back to Europe. With the study a centuries old discussion about the origins of the disease is re-opened. The researchers concluded, that an analysis of the syphilis family tree shows the closest relative being a tropical infection, which causes red skin eruptions due to a sub-specie of the same bacteria.

The study acknowledges as plausible the “Columbus-theory”, which connects the very first registered European syphilis epidemic in 1495 to the return of Columbus and his crew. Kristen Harper, an evolution biologist of the Emory University in Atlanta/USA and whose team did the research, declares: “What we found is that syphilis or a predecessor thereof went from the New World to the Old World and with that fairly recent in history. When you combine the genetic details with the ones of the epidemic in Naples of 1495, you see a reasonable strong support for the Columbus-hypothesis.”

When you start thinking of all native Indians of Latin America running around with syphilis, you are totally wrong, there is prove that the natives were immune for the bacteria contrary to the “white men" of the Old World”.