▁compar atively ▁minor ▁cause ▁of ▁overall ▁native ▁population ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Bureau ▁of ▁the ▁Census ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 : ▁" The ▁Indian ▁wars ▁under ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁have ▁been ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁in ▁number ▁[ Over ▁the ▁previous ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ]. ▁They ▁have ▁cost ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁white ▁men , ▁women ▁and ▁children , ▁including ▁those ▁killed ▁in ▁individual ▁comb ats , ▁and ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁about ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Indians . ▁The ▁actual ▁number ▁of ▁killed ▁and ▁wounded ▁Indians ▁must ▁be ▁very ▁much ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁given ... ▁Fif ty ▁percent ▁additional ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁safe ▁estimate ..." ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁disag re ement ▁among ▁sch ol ars ▁about ▁how ▁w ides p read ▁war fare ▁was ▁in ▁pre - Col umb ian ▁America , ▁but ▁there ▁is ▁general ▁agreement ▁that ▁war ▁became ▁dead lier ▁after ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁and ▁their ▁fire ar ms . ▁The ▁South ▁or ▁Central ▁American ▁infrastr ucture ▁allowed ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁European ▁conquist adors ▁and ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁their ▁Indian ▁auxili aries ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁dominant ▁ind igen ous ▁civil ization . ▁Emp ires ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Inc as ▁dep ended ▁on ▁a ▁highly ▁central ized ▁administration ▁for ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁resources . ▁Dis ruption ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁the ▁colon ization ▁ham per ed ▁the ▁traditional ▁economy , ▁and ▁possibly