The introduction of smallpox and other Old World diseases by Spanish colonizers in the early 1520s led to catastrophic demographic declines among Indigenous populations in the Americas, with estimates suggesting that 50–90% of the native population perished. This event represents one of the greatest demographic catastrophes in history, fundamentally altering the social and cultural landscape of the Americas. The impact of these diseases was profound, facilitating European colonization and reshaping indigenous societies.

The smallpox epidemic that devastated Indigenous populations in the Americas around 1520 reshaped the literary landscape. It gave rise to colonial and Indigenous poetry that expressed lament, resistance, and the profound impact of demographic collapse on cultural narratives.