Praxis II Social Sciences Content Knowledge Exam Prep

Answer - A - The large-scale decline in the Native American population during the decades following European settlement from 1492 onward was largely caused by infectious diseases introduced by European colonists and explorers.

Key Takeaway: In the sixteenth century, the sudden arrival of Europeans in the New World caused immense devastation and destruction of the Native American population due to new diseases. The conquistadors of Spain brought smallpox with them to the New World, infecting native populations in order to gain control of the land. Later, Europeans also brought influenza, typhus, diphtheria, and measles to the New World.