Question

This passage describes the early years of the Columbian Exchange. Based on this passage, why did many indigenous inhabitants of the New World adopt the view that interaction with European settlers was harmful to their societies?

Just twenty years ago, the lands were filled with peoples from different nations, each with their own customs and tongues. Not a day went by without the assurance there would be plentiful land and an abundance of beasts in the forests for their peoples. Their villages and settlements were many, and their societies were rich and complex. Warriors, craftsmen, weavers, hunters, and dealers engaged in their everyday lives, bringing much good to their nations. But then the merchants from across the Great Sea started to come, and they brought with them a great many things never seen before on these shores. The inhabitants were glad at first to trade for these items they desired so greatly. But these brought only temporary benefits. For hidden in these goods was an invisible force, one that would affect every tribe in this great land. No person, regardless of stature, was spared. Children, mothers, and even chiefs were no match for this unseen warrior. In the span of only three generations, the majority of their villages disappeared, and the greatest lot of their peoples walked this land no more.
A. The inhabitants of the New World were pressured to join military alliances with the European settlers.
B. The European settlers used military force to compel the inhabitants of the New World to trade.
C. The European settlers were hoarding goods produced by the New World inhabitants.
D. The inhabitants of the New World had no
resistance to new diseases brought by the Europeans.

Answer 1

The indigenous inhabitants of the New World viewed interactions with European settlers as harmful primarily because of the deadly diseases brought by the Europeans, to which they had no immunity, leading to widespread death and societal collapse.

Step-by-step explanation:

Many indigenous inhabitants of the New World adopted the view that interaction with European settlers was harmful to their societies due to the impact of new diseases brought by the Europeans. The passage indicates an 'invisible force' that ravaged tribal populations, and historical accounts confirm this refers to epidemics of diseases like smallpox to which the Native Americans had no resistance. This catastrophic loss of life led to the destabilization and collapse of indigenous societies, as their numbers dwindled rapidly in the face of diseases they had never encountered and against which they had no immunity.

The early interactions that included trade and the exchange of goods were initially positive, but the long-term effects were devastating. European colonization and the establishment of different concepts of ownership, the use of military force, and the introduction of commodities and religion further exacerbated the negative perception of European settlers among Native American societies. The Columbian Exchange, while facilitating cultural and economic interactions, ultimately led to immense suffering and demographic catastrophe for indigenous peoples.

Answer 2

A "The inhabitants of the new world had no resistance to new diseases brought by the Europeans."

Step-by-step explanation:

it's the right answer (I've checked on apex)