Which of the following statements best describes the interplay between disease outbreaks, cultural assimilation, and the impact of European powers during early colonization?

During early colonization, disease outbreaks played a significant role in the decline of Indigenous populations, which made it easier for European powers to assert control over new territories. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought diseases like smallpox that Indigenous people had never encountered, leading to devastating health crises. As these populations diminished, the cultural assimilation of Indigenous peoples often increased, as European settlers imposed their customs and ways of life on the survivors. For example, in areas where Native Americans were reduced by illness, European settlers could more easily claim land and convert the remaining people to Christianity. This process showed how disease, cultural change, and European expansion were closely linked during this challenging period of colonization.