More devastating than the battles were the diseases which may have been carried by the members of the expedition. Because the indigenous people lacked the immunity which the Europeans had acquired through generations of exposure to these Eurasian diseases, the Native Americans may have suffered epidemics of illness after exposure to such diseases as measles, smallpox, and chicken pox. Several areas traversed by the expedition became depopulated, potentially by disease caused by contact with the Europeans. Seeing the high fatalities and devastation caused, many natives would have fled the populated areas for the surrounding hills and swamps. In some areas, the social structure would have changed because of high population losses due to epidemics. However, recent scholars have begun to question whether the expedition brought novel disease at all. The arrival of many diseases, aside from malaria, is disputed and they may not have entered the region until much later. The first documented smallpox epidemic in the southeast arrived in 1696, and Mississippian social structures persisted in some parts of the region until the 18th century.
more devastating than the battles were the diseases which may have been carried by the members of the expedition because the indigenous people lacked the immunity which the europeans had acquired through generations of exposure to these eurasian diseases the native americans may have suffered epidemics of illness after exposure to such diseases as measles smallpox and chicken pox several areas traversed by the expedition became depopulated potentially by disease caused by contact with the europeans seeing the high fatalities and devastation caused many natives would have fled the populated areas for the surrounding hills and swamps in some areas the social structure would have changed because of high population losses due to epidemics however recent scholars have begun to question whether the expedition brought novel disease at all the arrival of many diseases aside from malaria is disputed and they may not have entered the region until much later the first documented smallpox epidemic in the southeast arrived in 1696 and mississippian social structures persisted in some parts of the region until the 18th century