Colonizers from Europe and the death rate among Native Americans

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting that Spanish settlers played a significant role in increasing mortality among Indigenous people in central California. The study, titled "Historic and bioarchaeological evidence supports late onset of post-Columbian epidemics in Native California," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research, led by Terry L. Jones from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, and Brian F. Codding from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, analysed age-at-death records of 33,715 Indigenous people in central California between 3050 BCE and 1870 CE. The study used both excavated human burial sites and missionary records from Spain for its analysis.

The findings suggest that Spanish settlers, through their increased vulnerability of Indigenous people to disease, contributed to extreme social disruption, including increased violence, enslavement, and food insecurity. From 1770 CE to 1800 CE, Indigenous populations in central California exhibited a mortality profile similar to that of populations experiencing an epidemic plague.

Interestingly, the mortality records show more females than males died near Spanish missions. This gender disparity, combined with the overall increase in mortality, paints a grim picture of the impact Spanish settlers had on the region's Indigenous populations.

The study's findings add to our understanding of the decline of Indigenous populations in the Americas following European settlers' arrival, which is one of the most severe demographic collapses in history.

For additional information about the study, Terry L. Jones and Brian F. Codding can be contacted. Terry L. Jones, the study's lead author, can be reached at California Polytechnic State University, while Brian F. Codding can be reached at the University of Utah.

The first city or mission station founded by the Spaniards in 1770 in Central California was the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, commonly known as the Carmel Mission. The establishment of permanent settlements and missions by Spanish settlers marked a turning point in the history of central California, with far-reaching implications for its Indigenous populations.