Question

How can you say that the European conquest of America was not only a result of superior firepower?

Answer 1

Hint: The intrusion of the North American continent and its people began with the Spanish at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565 and then the British in 1585 when the Plymouth Company built a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day Virginia. After which, the French founded Quebec in 1608, and then the Dutch started a colony in 1609 in New York.

Complete answer:
Portuguese and Spanish conquerors colonized America from the 16th century.
The most potent weapon of the Spanish conquerors wasn't military weapons, but it was the germs of smallpox. While Native Americans countered European efforts to gather land and power during this period, they struggled while fighting diseases introduced by the Europeans. The Europeans have used a large number of viruses and bacteria to take control of the Americans, and they can’t be just killed through gunshots. Spanish people were already exposed to the deadly disease, but the Americans never came in contact with it. The germs in the European bodies started to spread amongst Americans, where thousands were killed.

Note: By the 16th century, several diseases had struck Europe, and the people had gained immunity against most of them. Even when immunity did not exist, Europeans had a piece of knowledge on a number of disastrous epidemics and had already made their peace with them. America’s citizens did not have immunity against these diseases that came from Europe. Smallpox proved to be a deadly killer. Once entered, it expanded deep into the continent. It killed entire communities and paved the way for conquest.