Diseases and Native Americans from Colonial Hawaii to Covid-19 with Seth Archer

Episode 15 - June 21, 2020
Smallpox

Seth Archer from Utah State sits down with Merle and Lee to talk about the diseases that passed through the Columbian Exchange and their impact on Native Americans. Archer offers a broad take on how historians have written about diseases after the colonization of North America and then turns to his area of expertise: the impact of disease on Hawaii after the voyages of James Cook. He reveals how historians of disease can move past questions of demography to investigate cultural questions. At the end, he talks to the hosts about how Covid-19 has struck Native Americans today, connecting back to earlier episodes on the role of race and economic inequality in our current pandemic.

Our Guest

Seth Archer,

Assistant Professor, History Department, Utah State University

Seth Archer