Biological warfare was intentionally used by the British to eradicate their Native American enemies. There is substantial evidence that proves the British purposefully sent smallpox infected blankets to a Native American tribe. This evidence includes the practice of inoculation, quotes from militia officials, and disorderly conduct by the Indians that may have prompted the giving of the blankets. The main motive for biological warfare by the British unto the Indians was to remove the natives, who were allied to the French, from the war so they could better defeat the French to gain land. By infecting and killing the Native Americans with the smallpox disease, the British accomplished just that.
Inoculation is the practice of transplanting…show more content… William Trent’s famous quote, “Out of regard to them we gave them two Blankets and a Handkerchief out of the Smallpox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect” (Doc 4) gives strong evidence to prove that biological warfare against the Indians was intentional. No rational person would give blankets from a disease filled hospital to their enemies without intending to infect them with that disease. The quote also ends with, “I hope it will have the desired effect.” One could come to the conclusion that the so-called “desired effect” was eradicating the Indians. Another militia member that said very suggestive comments about biological warfare was Lord Amherst. “Could it not be contrived to send the smallpox among those disaffected tribes of Indians? We must on this occasion use every stratagem in our power to reduce them.” Amherst clearly knew that the infected blankets would give smallpox to the Native Americans, and he seemed more than willing to do whatever it took to defeat them. In response, Col. Bouquet wrote, “I will try to inoculate the Indians by means of Blankets.” This is crystalline evidence showing the British intentionally used infected blankets as a form of biological warfare towards the Native Americans. (Doc
