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The Native Population of the Americas in 1492

edited by William M. Denevan

University of Wisconsin Press, 1992
Paper: 978-0-299-13434-1 | eISBN: 978-0-299-13433-4
Library of Congress Classification E59.P75N37 1992
Dewey Decimal Classification 304.6097309024

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

ABOUT THIS BOOK

William M. Denevan writes that, "The discovery of America was followed by possibly the greatest demographic disaster in the history of the world." Research by some scholars provides population estimates of the pre-contact Americas to be as high as 112 million in 1492, while others estimate the population to have been as low as eight million. In any case, the native population declined to less than six million by 1650.
In this collection of essays, historians, anthropologists, and geographers discuss the discrepancies in the population estimates and the evidence for the post-European decline. Woodrow Borah, Angel Rosenblat, William T. Sanders, and others touch on such topics as the Indian slave trade, diseases, military action, and the disruption of the social systems of the native peoples. Offering varying points of view, the contributors critically analyze major hemispheric and regional data and estimates for pre- and post-European contact.
This revised edition features a new introduction by Denevan reviewing recent literature and providing a new hemispheric estimate of 54 million, a foreword by W. George Lovell of Queen's University, and a comprehensive updating of the already extensive bibliography. Research in this subject is accelerating, with contributions from many disciplines. The discussions and essays presented here can serve both as an overview of past estimates, conflicts, and methods and as indicators of new approaches and perspectives to this timely subject.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

William M. Denevan is the Carl O. Sauer professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables

List of Maps

List of Figures

Foreword

Native American Populations in 1492: Recent Research and a Revised Hemispheric Estimate

Supplementary Bibliography

Preface to the First Edition

Acknowledgments

Part I: Estimating the Unknown

Introduction

1. The Historical Demography of Aboriginal and Colonial America: An Attempt at Perspective—Woodrow Borah

Part II: The Caribbean, Central America, and Yucatán

Introduction

2. The Population of Hispaniola at the Time of Columbus—Ángel Rosenblat

3. The Indian Slave Trade and Population of Nicaragua during the Sixteenth Century—David R. Radell

Part III: Mexico

Introduction

4. The Population of the Central Mexican Symbiotic Region, the Basin of Mexico, and the Teotihuacán Valley in the Sixteenth Century—William T. Sanders

Part IV: South America

Introduction

5. A Defense of Small Population Estimates for the Central Andes in 1520—Daniel E. Shea

6. A Reexamination of Aboriginal Population Estimates for Argentina—Jane Pyle

7. The Aboriginal Population of Amzonia–William M. Denevan

Part V: North America

Introduction

8. The Sources and Methodology for Mooney's Estimates of North American Indian Populations—Douglas H. Ubelaker

Epilogue

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

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