lig ence . ▁Yet ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁death s , ▁the ▁almost ▁complete ▁anni h ilation ▁of ▁the ▁Mand ans , ▁and ▁the ▁terrible ▁suffering ▁the ▁region ▁end ured , ▁the ▁label ▁criminal ▁neg lig ence ▁is ▁ben ign , ▁hardly ▁bef itting ▁an ▁action ▁that ▁had ▁such ▁hor rend ous ▁consequences ." ▁However , ▁some ▁sources ▁attribute ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 6 – 4 0 ▁ep ide mic ▁to ▁the ▁deliber ate ▁communication ▁of ▁small po x ▁to ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁with ▁historian ▁Ann ▁F . ▁R amen of sky ▁writing , ▁" Vari ola ▁Major ▁can ▁be ▁transm itted ▁through ▁cont amin ated ▁articles ▁such ▁as ▁cl othing ▁or ▁blank ets . ▁In ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁the ▁U . ▁S . ▁Army ▁sent ▁cont amin ated ▁blank ets ▁to ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁especially ▁Pla ins ▁groups , ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁Indian ▁problem ." ▁Well ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁deliber ate ▁in fection ▁attacks ▁continued ▁as ▁Brazil ian ▁sett lers ▁and ▁min ers ▁transport ed ▁in fe ctions ▁intention ally ▁to ▁the ▁native ▁groups ▁whose ▁lands ▁they ▁cov et ed ." ▁ ▁V acc ination ▁After ▁Edward ▁Jen ner ' s ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁demonstr ation ▁that ▁the ▁small po x ▁v acc ination ▁worked , ▁the ▁technique ▁became ▁better ▁known ▁and ▁small po x ▁became ▁less ▁dead ly ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁elsewhere . ▁Many ▁colon ists ▁and ▁n atives ▁were ▁v acc in ated , ▁although ,