Part 4- Chapters 13, 14, 15

The Great Dying had a very large impact on the Native American population, as stated by its name.
The book states that before Columbus came to the Americas, the native population was around 60 to 80 million with a large majority of those living in the Mesoamerican area, this area included the Aztecs. When the Europeans arrived to this area, they brought with them diseases from domesticated animals  that the native people were just not immune to. These diseases including small pox depleted nearly 90 percent of the native population. The book states that while a great number of these people died from the disease, another large portion of them died from starvation, for they were too weak to get up and gather food. This is also true for north america, as we saw with the indians of North America.
With researching the Aztecs in Mesoamerica, it was apparent that the introduction of European diseases was a great determining factor in the end of the Aztec Empire. Although there were other factors that did contribute to the demise of the Aztec people, the introduction to diseases that the natives were not immune to posed a great threat to them.
The book goes on to state that  because of the labor shortage, due to the high number of deaths, there was an opening for new cultures in the Americas, including  Europeans and Africans. They also brought with them animals and new fruits and vegetables. The book states that "they transformed the landscape and made possible a recognizably European diet and way of life".