Plague of Cocoliztli in New Spain

1545

A mysterious hemorrhagic fever called cocoliztli swept central Mexico, killing perhaps eighty percent of the surviving indigenous population within three years. Modern researchers suspect a rodent-borne viral disease exacerbated by drought. The catastrophe permanently reshaped Mesoamerican demography and deepened Spanish dependence on African slave labor. The catastrophe permanently reshaped colonial labor markets, accelerating African slave importation and altering central Mexico's demographic composition.