The podcast discusses the conquest of nations by the United States and how the drive to increase territorial holdings and economic motives for organized aggression belong to an accepted norm of international activity in the ancient world. They also talk about the impact of diseases and the small number of Native American warriors fighting against encroaching Manifest Destiny.
The spread of diseases from Europe in the 15th century had a catastrophic impact on the populations in the Americas, wiping out a large percentage of the tribes that were untouched by European contact and leaving traumatized remnants. The estimates of the tribal population of North America in 1800 are as low as 600,000 people, highlighting the devastating impact of disease on indigenous populations.
The largest Native American force of warriors ever assembled is estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 people, a small number compared to the encroaching force of Manifest Destiny. A gathering of 1,500 North American Native American warriors is considered a sizable force.
In this episode, the speaker talks about the idea of an empire and its origins, particularly focusing on Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire in ancient Gaul.
The need for a new translation of the Gallic War, authored by Julius Caesar, is explained due to changes in the audience's perspectives and the outdated interpretation of ancient international activity norms. The new Carolyn Hammond translation also sheds light on the atrocities committed by Julius Caesar during his conquest of Gaul.