User:Bicarden/sandbox

Editing/Adding Onto 'Cortes and the Aztec' [in progress]
In the early 16th century, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led an expedition to go to the new world, which lead them to a land to what is now known as Mexico. The interaction between the old world Spaniards and new world Aztecs, resulted in the total destruction of the Aztec Empire within just two years (February 1519 – August 1521). In spite of the Europeans' weaponry, technology and Horses, it is believed that the arrival of smallpox in the Americas in 1520 weakened the resistance the Aztecs people were able to mount. This was most likely due to the Aztec's inexperience, and little interaction with the smallpox virus.

Even with the horses, bloodhounds, gunpowder, and steel, Cortés had a tough time with the Aztecs; Smallpox on the other hand was able to spread to those who have not been in contact with it yet, killing off many people regardless of being rich or poor; people high and low were being infected. Thus the introduction of smallpox that Cortes and his men brought with them, was the significant impact to the fall of the Aztec Empire. As most of the Spaniards have built up somewhat of an immunity to this disease; having brought it. [copied from Ecological imperialism]

Editing/Adding Onto 'Fur Trade' [in progress]
During this time of colonialism, Europe at this time has seen an insane increase of demands for luxury fur, mainly demanded by Western Europeans. Serbia at the time was the main source of getting luxury fur, however it alone could not meet Western Europe's demand for fur; Thus it was increasing the value of fur, in which created the fur trade buzz in North America for high profits. The fur trade was as detrimental to the survival of native people as it was imperative to the success of settlers due the high European demand. Trappers employed natives because of their knowledge of the terrain and wildlife, putting natives with no immunity to European diseases into close contact with Europeans.

The fur trade also upset the ecological balance of North America. "Restraint wasn't a hallmark of the fur trade. In 1822, in the north western regions of the country alone, the Hudson's Bay Company stockpiled 1500 fox skins, a paltry number compared with the 106,000 beaver skins, but too many none the less. The fur traders had miscalculated. As predators, they had failed to adapt to their prey, and their prey, in turn, retaliated with denial. Of course, the red fox didn't render himself extinct. His numbers merely shrank.". The fur trade not only miscalculated the predator and prey ratio, it allowed for the increase spread of smallpox in the Northern regions of the Americas; Thus creating a geographic commercial route for smallpox to travel from urban populated cities, to the rural, open, woodland northern country. [copied from Ecological imperialism]