Within a few days after our departure from [the american indian] town, the people began to die very fast. in some towns about some the disease was also so strange that they neither knew what it was, nor how to cure it. source: thomas harriot, 1585 based on the quote above, what factor contributed most to the decline in the american indian population following the arrival of europeans to the new world? a. american indians were poorly equipped to fight off european diseases. b. droughts and food shortages contributed to many american indian deaths. c. competition for land with europeans contributed to many violent conflicts. d. lack of technology contributed to the enslavement of native populations.