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Question: Is it true that the U!.S!. giving smallpox blankets to Native Americans is just an urban legend!?
I have asked for any documentation of this supposed event!. The only documentation I have received concerns Ward Churchill, whose documentations have been debunked!. Can anyone give me any documentation of this phenomenon!? If not, then can we put it to rest as an urban legend!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
There is absolutely no evidence that the American Government had an official (or as some claim unofficial ) policy of exterminating all Indians!.!.!.Or that!.!.!.the American Government gave smallpox blankets to any Indians

During the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War, generals did discuss the use of smallpox infected blankets to reduce the Indian numbers, but they rejected the idea more for the safety of their own men rather than not trying to commit genocide!. These are documented from letters written at the time!.

While smallpox, flu and other diseases did decimate tribes, most of the spread of the disease was by the Indians themselves, unknowingly of course!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I had always heard that the British used smallpox infect blankets to combat troublesome native americans!. I suspect that some enterprising officer tried it!.

This site (which I haven't cross referenced to see if all the citations are valid)
http://www!.nativeweb!.org/pages/legal/amh!.!.!.

details a number of discussions of possibly doing it!.

Smallpox, and other European diseases ravaged the natives and needed little help in spreading!. Perhaps the first person to do it did it out of charity & ignorance, rather than malice!. But given the history of the settlement of the americas by Europeans, I would wager that someone send infected blankets intentionally!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

J$C H is overlooking something!. Europeans had resistances to many strains of diseases the Indians did not!. Smallpox was very dangerous to Europeans too, but they did infect native populations!. Something that might present itself as a minor cold to a European could kill an Indian!. Although they didn't know the particular workings of microbiology back then, they knew enough through common sense and centuries of observation with such contagious diseases to realize that contact could spread illness!. They also knew that typically if someone survived an outbreak they were probably immune to that particular form of the virus!. An environmentally sealed suit wouldn't have been necessary!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The type of person that would make a tobacco pouch out of the breast of a native american woman, would have no problem spreading a disease any way they could!.A quote from one of these hero's, when asked about killing young indians,said to kill them all,
from nits, grow lice"!.The need to eradicate the indians so that gold hunting, railroads, cattle and farms,could be expanded to the west far outgrew any concern for how it happened!.We have much to be proud in our nation, this was not one of our shining hours!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It may have been done accidentally!. Now, let us think about this in a rational sense!. How did they give them!? By fork lift!? No, they did not have them back then!. Did they use chemical suits!? No again!. Did they use rubber gloves and masks, not available at the time!. Did they store them in a sealed warehouse!? Oops, no yet again!. So, if they indeed did do this, then they would have wiped out their own population as well as killing themselves!.
Not too hard to figure it was a just an urban legend!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, it is true!. I've read many accounts in different places about it!. I have some ref material I'll go thru and try to give you a source!. also Ward Churchill is wigged out!. Liberalism has rotted his brain!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lord Jeffery Amherst did!. See http://www!.nativeweb!.org/pages/legal/amh!.!.!. for more info!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Did you check Snopes!?Www@QuestionHome@Com