NEWS
EVENTS
Blankets Full of Smallpox Given To Native Americans? - Bad History
Other | Wednesday 18th November 2015 | Sebastian
Did the U.S Colonisers give smallpox infested blankets to Native Americans?
As part of our bad history features, here is some more important history you shoud look into.
Many Historians who seek to tell the truth of the colonisation of North America, speak of treachery and underhand tactics carried out by the British and foreign colonisers; Such as the controversy of the apparantly US sending smallpox infested blankets to Native American reservations.
Did the U.S give these blankets as a sign of good will following a treaty? Or was it part of a more sinister, dark plan?
It is said that a distribution of blankets was ordered to Indian reservations after said Indians expressed their desperation, stating that women and children were becoming critically ill because of harsh weather conditions with no way to stay warm. Therefore, some Historians believe the act of giving blankets to these Indians was an act of humanity and kindness...Then there's the darker side of the story.
There have been very important archived letters between Colonel Henry Boquet and General Amherst. Before the distribution of the Blankets. Boquet sent a letter to Amherst suggesting that they distribute blankets to "inocculate the Indians". Amherst replies with a letter approving this move and also suggests "to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race."
The two also suggest in the letters the use of dogs to hunt down Indians, but explain that they will not execute this plan because there aren't enough dogs. It sounds like almost every way to exterminate the Indians was discussed. These letters must have been so fucked up. Just idea after idea on how to mass murder innocent people.
The long-spanding smallpox epidemic that occured in the Americas in the 19th and 18th century killed a lot of Indians. I'm talking 90% of the American Indian population, all died from a disease that had a vaccine. In 1832, US congress actually appropriated $12,000 to vaccinate Indians against smallpox. However, this was too little too late, and was only enough to vaccinate two thirds of the Indian population...So this could've just been a measure to save face. It's crazy to think how many of these deaths were possibly caused by the US.
There are a lot of historians who will debate that the plans to distribute the blankets carrying the deadly disease and the act, never happened, and it's all made up. I find it difficult to see how it can be denied, given that there are archives of the letters between Amherst and Boquet. But obviously, like many bad deeds this has been brushed under the rug, in an effort to save the moral and just reputation of the United States of America.
People tend to want to ignore the gory ways in which their side won a war, they just care that they are sitting pretty. People should all know of the atrocities carried out by British and US settlers who colonised land in order for us to live the way we do today..
