Diamond: Guilty as Charged

Throughout Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond emphasizes the idea that advancements made by different human civilizations arose not because of biological or genetic advantages, but as a result of geography and surrounding resources. The author uses this argument in his comparisons between different culture groups' advancements and change over time, whether it be in tools, farming techniques, or disease. Evidence of his deterministic view is shown when he contrasts the growth of peoples in Europe and in Africa, stating "In short, Europe’s colonization of Africa had nothing to do with differences between European and African peoples themselves, as white racists assume. Rather, it was due to accidents of geography and biogeography—in particular, to the continents’ different areas, axes, and suites of wild plant and animal species. That is, the different historical trajectories of Africa and Europe stem ultimately from differences in real estate." (401).

Diamond not only exemplifies the ways a population's geography has encouraged these advancements, he also illustrates the way various groups show continuities in intelligence and problem solving capability, arguing that these abilities were simply used in different ways depending on the group's location. This viewpoint is clearly seen when Diamond states, "Eurasia's considerable initial advantage thereby was translated into a huge lead as of A.D. 1492-for reasons of Eurasia's distinctive geography rather than of distinctive human intellect." (264). It’s clear that Diamond is a geographical determinist and he is guilty as charged.

The Importance of Livestock

The use of livestock in Eurasia gave its people an advantage over the rest of the world. These animals didn’t only provide meat for the families to be fed, they provided things such as milk, material for clothing, manure for crops and above all: muscle power. Native Americans had the llama, but unfortunately this furry animal was not enough to help create a strong society.

A European farmer was able to transform farming with a little help from the horse. The horse gave them enough muscle to immensely increase the productivity of crops. More crops meant farmers could feed more people, and if they had more people they could increase the complexity of their society. Europeans did not originally have the livestock that they ended up with before they started colonizing different parts of the world. These animals, which Europe should be thankful for, came from the Fertile Crescent. This is why, if Americans had the livestock that Eurasia was able to get through the Fertile Crescent, then America would have become the dominator of history. It’s simple, although the Fertile Crescent wasn’t located in Europe, it was still close enough to domesticate the livestock from there and increase the complexity of their societies.

Another reason for why it was so easy for Europeans to conquer Native Americans was because the Indians were not immune to the diseases Europeans brought from their homeland. Before Pizarro even came to conquer the Inca Empire, the Incans were already severely ill through diseases that had spread from Mesoamerica into South America. This weakened the regime and made it easier for the Spaniards to conquer the New World. Suppose Native Americans had the immunity against the diseases Spaniards brought, what would have happened then? It would have certainly been a much harder task for the Europeans to take control over these people.

Europeans had horses for a very long time and learned how to ride them for easier mobility and control over other animals. Automobiles weren’t available at the time so transportation via horse was the fastest way to get to places and the quickest way to scare people that were unaware of the animals from the Old World.

These livestock animals gave Europeans the greatest advantage over the rest of the world and allowed them to take over others much more easily. Native Americans could have enjoyed the help of these fascinating animals in daily farming, riding, and feeding. Unfortunately, they were an ocean away from the Americas, and traveling across the great waters was definitely not an intention that the Native Americans had.