Spanish Peasant Colonization Scheme

Yeah, this is the exact myth I was talking about. The European's diseases killed 90% of the Aztec population; the actual soldiers could not cleave through native warriors by the thousands. The technology difference gave them an edge, but it wasn't that great.

I was talking to someone earlier this year who was an expert on Mesoamerican societies (specializing on the Tarascans) who was pretty damn critical of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. Said the only part Diamond really got right was the Germs part.

Tarascans you say? I'd love to Chat with this person about all they know.
 
Like a lot of people said, the Native societies of Mexico and large chunks of South America were populated by urban and farming nations. After the recovering from the plagues, there was already an indigenous labor force. This is also the reason that the mainland didn't end up like the Caribbean, with an overwhelming African population thrown into the mix. Also the Spanish had a different ideology in terms of conquest (at least in the beginning). You could sum it up as they were looking not only for the resources of the land offered, but the peasants that came with it, similar to how land was grabbed in Europe.
 
The Mississippi and Eastern Woodlands collapse was much more devestating with large population areas returning to Hunter Gathering Groups, the Missippians like the Cherokee and Natchez notably resisted European attempts at total enslavemwnt and extinction.
 
Tarascans you say? I'd love to Chat with this person about all they know.

Unfortunately it's not someone I know personally, just a poster I was briefly chatting with on the Something Awful forums. He had his own (very long) thread all about it, but SA is a paid-access forum and this was months ago.
 
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