science

History of smallpox in Mexico

History of smallpox in Mexico is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand History of smallpox in Mexico rather than just read about it. In short: The history of smallpox in Mexico spans approximately 430 years, from the Spanish invasion and colonization of Central America until its official eradication under the Republic of Mexico in 1951. It was brought to what is now Mexico by the Spanish conquistadores, then spread to the center of Mexico, where it became a significant factor in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The history of smallpox in Mexico spans approximately 430 years, from the Spanish invasion and colonization of Central America until its official eradication under the Republic of Mexico in 1951. It was brought to what is now Mexico by the Spanish conquistadores, then spread to the center of Mexico, where it became a significant factor in the fall of Tenochtitlan. During the colonial period, there were major epidemic outbreaks which led to the implementation of sanitary and preventive policy. The introduction of smallpox vaccination in New Spain by Francisco Javier de Balmis and the work of Ignacio Bartolache reduced the mortality and morbidity of the disease.

Introduction of smallpox

Smallpox was an unknown disease not only in the Aztec Empire but in all the American continent, before the European colonization of the Americas (15th century onwards). Indigenous peoples of the Americas had not yet been exposed to the type of diseases that plagued the East, which meant that they had no resistance or immunity against them. It was introduced to Mexican lands by the Spanish conquistadores, and played a significant role in the downfall of the Aztec Empire (1519–1530). Hernán Cortés departed from Spanish-ruled colonial Cuba and arrived in Mexico in 1519, sent to start trade relations only on the coast of Veracruz. However, he disobeyed the Cuban governor Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar and began to invade the mainland. The governor sent Pánfilo de Narváez after Cortés. Narvaez's forces had at least one active case of smallpox infection, and when the Narvaez expedition stopped at Cozumel and Veracruz in 1520, the disease gained a foothold in the region. The introduction of smallpox among the Aztecs has been attributed to an African slave trafficked by the Spanish colonizers (by the name of Francisco Eguía, according to one account), but this has been disputed. From May to September, smallpox spread slowly to Tepeaca and Tlaxcala, and to Tenochtitlán by the fall of 1520. At this time, Cortes was returning to conquer the city after being thrown out on the Noche Triste. Cortes names only one indigenous leader who died of smallpox, Maxixcatzin. However, Cuitláhuac and other native rulers also died of smallpox. Chimalpahin reports the death of some lords in Chalco from the disease as well. These deaths were part of a widespread epidemic which devastated the common population. Estimates of mortality range from one-quarter to one-half of the population of central Mexico. Toribio Motolinia, a Spanish Roman Catholic monk that witnessed this epidemic, said: "It became such a great pestilence among them throughout the land that in most provinces more than half the population died; in others the proportion was less. They died in heaps, like bedbugs." It had been estimated that the population of Mexico fell from over thirty million people before the arrival of Hernan Cortez to 1.5–3 million by 1568. Although the numbers are uncertain, it is estimated that smallpox killed forty to fifty million people in the New World. Regardless of the exact numbers, it is certain that the conquest of the Aztec Empire was greatly influenced by the arrival of the smallpox virus.

Major outbreaks in the colonial period

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with History of smallpox in Mexico

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what History of smallpox in Mexico claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to History of smallpox in Mexico before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about History of smallpox in Mexico ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of History of smallpox in Mexico

In research: History of smallpox in Mexico appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses History of smallpox in Mexico in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: History of smallpox in Mexico is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 16th century in New Spain, 17th century in New Spain, 18th century in New Spain, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for History of smallpox in Mexico outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is History of smallpox in Mexico in simple terms?

Why does History of smallpox in Mexico matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study History of smallpox in Mexico?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on History of smallpox in Mexico.