Read the passage found in World Geography online textbook (Topic 3: Middle America, Lesson 3: Colonial Spanish Society and Government). Then, answer the question: Why did as many as nine out of ten Middle America people die?
a They did not have resistance to European diseases.
b They did have resistance to European diseases.
c They experienced a decline in wealth.
d They were paid to work.
The correct answer is: a) They did not have resistance to European diseases.
In the passage, it is explained that when the Spanish arrived in Middle America, they brought with them diseases that the native population had never encountered before. These diseases, such as smallpox and measles, spread rapidly and caused significant death tolls among the native people. It is estimated that as many as nine out of ten Middle America people died as a result of their lack of resistance to these European diseases.