Biocultural Georgia and Florida

Tamara Spike is a Latin American historian with a specializations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and indigenous history. Her first research project focused on indigenous La Florida and the Southeastern United States during the Spanish colonial period. She's been at UNG since 2006.

"Biohistorical Georgia and Florida, 1565-1763: Disease, Epidemics, and Cultural Interactions"

This talk explores the biohistory of La Florida from 1565 to 1763, focusing on how disease and epidemics shaped interactions between Indigenous peoples and European settlers. The arrival of the Spanish brought new diseases like smallpox and influenza, which devastated Indigenous populations and altered colonial dynamics, impacting labor, trade, and political relationships. The talk highlights how Indigenous communities adapted to these crises through resistance and negotiation. We’ll examine the role of disease in cross-cultural interactions and how epidemics shaped the historical trajectory of Georgia and Florida during this pivotal period.

Host or Publisher Dahlonega Science Cafe