AD 1503: Foreigners come for cod; carry disease to New England
For generations, teeming schools of codfish support Native peoples along the North Atlantic coast. After the explorer John Cabot lands in Newfoundland in 1497, his reports lure English fishermen and other Europeans to the region. Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, Mi’kmaq, Penobscot, and Maliseet peoples begin trading with them, with terrible consequences. Overfishing cuts the rich food supply, while contagious diseases carried by Europeans spread among Native peoples.
- Theme
- Epidemics
- Region
- Northeast
Codfish
Courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
Dutch map of coastal areas of what is now known as Newfoundland, AD 1602-1606, showing European and Latin names for lands and fishing grounds of Native peoples
Courtesy Memorial University of Newfoundland
Approximate locations of the original inhabitants of the area that is now known as Maine
Courtesy Native Languages of the Americas