The transfer of diseases is not something either side is usually blamed for in a harshly critical sense. Neither the Europeans nor the Amerindians were aware of how the diseases were passed on. The Europeans did not intend to infect the Amerindians, but they did. Estimates range from about half to a whopping 90+% (extreme range) of the Amerindian population died of diseases brought by the Europeans. Was it the Europeans 'fault?' Technically, it was, but--again--it was accidental. Was it the Amerindians' 'fault' for giving Europe syphilis? Technically, it was, but it was accidental.
The first recorded 'biological warfare' was from American colonists giving Amerindians cloths saturated with smallpox-bearing puss as 'gifts.' And there are probably other diseases which went from the Americas to Europe, but the Macroevolutionary model would suggest that the Americas should have relatively few human-targeting diseases. Africa has the most because in their view Africa has had humans the longest, so diseases could have plenty of time to form varieties to attack humans. Eurasia was the second continent to be colonized, so it should have the second-most number of human diseases (native). Then Australia. And then the Americas. After that, Oceania. While of the opinion that Macroevolution is basically bunk, the evidence seems to support their model. The Amerindian, and to a lesser extent--if only because of less contact--the Pacific Islander populations were decimated upon contact with Old Worlders, almost invariably Europeans/European descendants.
Also, because Eurasia had--and has--the largest population, diseases can more easily spread from human to human in a dense population. The Black Death spread across Eurasia, and around of third of the European population is estimated to have died. So the survivors would be more resistant (because their ancestors may have been--some were lucky enough to live in rural places or not be infected). And Amerindians today are about as resistant to diseases as their European, African, and Asian descended neighbors for the same reason.
Sort of went off on a tangent.....
Anyway, agree with you that racism toward European descendants is often overlooked, and that this is bad not only on a principled level, but also because it breeds resentment and anger--they same for racism toward other groups.
The Germ Theory of Disease wasn’t developed until some time in the 1800s, long after Thomas Jefferson was President in fact.
The small pox blankets were not given to the Indians by the colonists. They were given to them by British General Sir Jeffrey Amherst.
I heard that Ward Churchill had made this claim; do you have any other sources for this?
Cheers!