Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region
We explore the impact of one of the earlier epidemics to hit natives living in the Hudson Bay drainage basin: the smallpox outbreak of 1780-82. We review contemporary descriptions of the epidemic and how Europeans at the time viewed its impact on the native population of the region. We then explore...
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Kingston (Ontario): Queen's University, Department of Economics
2009
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ftzbwkiel:oai:econstor.eu:10419/67802 2024-01-21T10:06:52+01:00 Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region Carlos, Ann Lewis, Frank 2009 http://hdl.handle.net/10419/67802 eng eng Kingston (Ontario): Queen's University, Department of Economics Series: Queen's Economics Department Working Paper No. 1231 gbv-ppn:623444666 http://hdl.handle.net/10419/67802 http://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen ddc:330 J11 N31 N51 population native americans smallpox Indigene Völker Internationale Wanderung Bevölkerungsentwicklung Epidemie Sozialgeschichte Kanada doc-type:workingPaper 2009 ftzbwkiel 2023-12-25T00:44:42Z We explore the impact of one of the earlier epidemics to hit natives living in the Hudson Bay drainage basin: the smallpox outbreak of 1780-82. We review contemporary descriptions of the epidemic and how Europeans at the time viewed its impact on the native population of the region. We then explore the impact of the epidemic using three approaches. First, we summarize the experience with other smallpox outbreaks including those among so-called 'virgin soil' populations. Next we place the epidemic in the context of the fur trade of the region; and finally, we suggest a measure of the population decline based on backward projections of later population estimates and the likely pre-epidemic population given the carrying capacity of the region in terms of large game. Our results for this particular epidemic, as we argue in the concluding section, may have broad implications for the interpretation of pre-contact aboriginal populations and the impact of European-carried disease. Report Hudson Bay EconStor (German National Library of Economics, ZBW) Hudson Hudson Bay |
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EconStor (German National Library of Economics, ZBW) |
op_collection_id |
ftzbwkiel |
language |
English |
topic |
ddc:330 J11 N31 N51 population native americans smallpox Indigene Völker Internationale Wanderung Bevölkerungsentwicklung Epidemie Sozialgeschichte Kanada |
spellingShingle |
ddc:330 J11 N31 N51 population native americans smallpox Indigene Völker Internationale Wanderung Bevölkerungsentwicklung Epidemie Sozialgeschichte Kanada Carlos, Ann Lewis, Frank Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
topic_facet |
ddc:330 J11 N31 N51 population native americans smallpox Indigene Völker Internationale Wanderung Bevölkerungsentwicklung Epidemie Sozialgeschichte Kanada |
description |
We explore the impact of one of the earlier epidemics to hit natives living in the Hudson Bay drainage basin: the smallpox outbreak of 1780-82. We review contemporary descriptions of the epidemic and how Europeans at the time viewed its impact on the native population of the region. We then explore the impact of the epidemic using three approaches. First, we summarize the experience with other smallpox outbreaks including those among so-called 'virgin soil' populations. Next we place the epidemic in the context of the fur trade of the region; and finally, we suggest a measure of the population decline based on backward projections of later population estimates and the likely pre-epidemic population given the carrying capacity of the region in terms of large game. Our results for this particular epidemic, as we argue in the concluding section, may have broad implications for the interpretation of pre-contact aboriginal populations and the impact of European-carried disease. |
format |
Report |
author |
Carlos, Ann Lewis, Frank |
author_facet |
Carlos, Ann Lewis, Frank |
author_sort |
Carlos, Ann |
title |
Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
title_short |
Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
title_full |
Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
title_fullStr |
Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
title_full_unstemmed |
Resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: Lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the Hudson Bay Region |
title_sort |
resources, trade, and the aboriginal population: lessons from the 1780s smallpox epidemic in the hudson bay region |
publisher |
Kingston (Ontario): Queen's University, Department of Economics |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10419/67802 |
geographic |
Hudson Hudson Bay |
geographic_facet |
Hudson Hudson Bay |
genre |
Hudson Bay |
genre_facet |
Hudson Bay |
op_relation |
Series: Queen's Economics Department Working Paper No. 1231 gbv-ppn:623444666 http://hdl.handle.net/10419/67802 |
op_rights |
http://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen |
_version_ |
1788697364490354688 |