McNeill's Law
Encyclopedia
In human geography
, McNeill's law is the process outlined in William H. McNeill's
book Plagues and Peoples. The process described concerns the role of microbial disease in the conquering of people-groups.
According to McNeill's Law, the microbiological aspect of conquest and invasion has been the deciding principle or one of the deciding principles in both the expansion of certain empire
s (as during the emigration to the Americas) and the containment in others (as during the crusades
).
due to European expansion (with the possible exception of the Arawaks) was the Guanches
of the Canary Islands
. Despite an inbred ferocity, superior knowledge of the land and even a possible tactical superiority, they were eventually wiped out through the concentrated efforts of the Spanish
and Portuguese
. McNeill's Law would place the deciding factor squarely on the introduction of deadly diseases and parasites from the mainland to the previously geographically isolated islanders.
This is the likely explanation, as what records still exist show numerous deaths by disease on the islands and a declining birth-rate, leading eventually to the almost complete end of the Guanches as a race.
Other instances include the devastation of the Incas by smallpox
.
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
, McNeill's law is the process outlined in William H. McNeill's
William McNeill
William McNeill may refer to:* William Hardy McNeill, Canadian historian* William Simpson McNeill, former politician in Prince Edward Island, Canada* William McNeill...
book Plagues and Peoples. The process described concerns the role of microbial disease in the conquering of people-groups.
According to McNeill's Law, the microbiological aspect of conquest and invasion has been the deciding principle or one of the deciding principles in both the expansion of certain empire
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
s (as during the emigration to the Americas) and the containment in others (as during the crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
).
Instances in history
The first people-group fully wiped outGenocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
due to European expansion (with the possible exception of the Arawaks) was the Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Despite an inbred ferocity, superior knowledge of the land and even a possible tactical superiority, they were eventually wiped out through the concentrated efforts of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. McNeill's Law would place the deciding factor squarely on the introduction of deadly diseases and parasites from the mainland to the previously geographically isolated islanders.
This is the likely explanation, as what records still exist show numerous deaths by disease on the islands and a declining birth-rate, leading eventually to the almost complete end of the Guanches as a race.
Other instances include the devastation of the Incas by smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
.