Final answer:
The history question concerns the dramatic decline in the indigenous population of the Americas post-European contact, primarily due to diseases like smallpox and measles, to which the natives had no immunity. Estimates suggest a mortality rate of 50 to 90 percent among Native Americans, a more devastating loss than Europe's Black Death. The spread of these diseases resulted in one of the most severe population declines in human history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question falls within the realm of History, focusing on the colossal impact European diseases had on the indigenous populations of the Americas after the arrival of Europeans like Columbus. The historical evidence suggests that a catastrophic epidemic ensued, with scholar estimates indicating that 50 to 90 percent of the Native American population perished. This tragic loss is often compared to the Black Death of Europe, yet it had a far more devastating effect on the indigenous peoples. For instance, in Mexico alone, diseases brought by Europeans wiped out eight million people.
It's crucial to recognize that the indigenous peoples had no immunity to diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, which Europeans had been exposed to for centuries. This lack of immunity resulted in an alarmingly high mortality rate among the Native American populations. In Hispaniola, a stark decline from over a million inhabitants to just 500 in about half a century exemplifies the scale of this demographic catastrophe.
The complete question is:
Perhaps 90% of the indigenous population died in the years after the arrival of the Europeans and Africans to the Americans, mainly due to disease. True/False