[Mogger]

Wasn’t it the American Indians who distributed blankets from infected individuals into settler camps, to make disease kill them?

Nope, other way around.

The Indians didn't weave cloth very much, certainly not enough to make blankets.

Blankets were a common trade item from white traders to Indians in return mostly for furs.

Sometimes they were given to the Indians as "presents".

These were usually the ones with smallpox to infect the Indians.

After the Crooked Walk, in Pennsylvania, Tom Quick, AKA Tom Quick, Indian Killer, AKA Tom Quick, Avenger of the Delaware, watched as Indians he grew up with, shoot, tomahawk, and scalp his father while his father was still alive.

The Quick family had always been friends of the Delaware tribe, inviting many into their house in the winter, and had nothing to do with the Crooked Walk.

The Indians were rightfully pissed over the Crooked Walk, and took it out on every white the could.

Tom vowed to kill every Indian he could.

Throughout his life he killed 99 Indians, then wiped out most of the Delaware after he died.

The Indians hated him so much, they dug up his grave and chopped his body into pieces, displaying the chunks on poles throughout their settlements. Tom had died of smallpox.

[frog in a pot]

Not well enough versed to argue the point, but the only reference I could (quickly) find a couple of weeks ago re any contaminated blankets suggested only circumstantial evidence in support. There is reference in correspondence between an American colonist military commander and a British commander re the concept. Apparently nothing more was found by the researchers to indicate the concept was put in play.

If you have anything, would appreciate reading it.

Thanks.

[Lou L]

These were usually the ones with smallpox to infect the Indians.

While this may have happened like you describe, I think what's missing is the intent. We didn't know about smallpox back then, certainly not what caused it, nor did we know sharing blankets would transmit the virus to the Indians. I know liberals tell this story to make our European ancestors sound like they intentionally planned a genocide on the American Indians, but I think it's a stretch to imply that.

[dennisw]

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/HTML-docs/tom_quick_schoonmaker.htm

Never heard of him before. Reading it now