Second major smallpox epidemic

A second major smallpox outbreak struck the Cape in 1755, causing further mortality and disrupting labour, households and Khoikhoi community life.

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established

epidemic

In 1755, smallpox returned to the Cape after the severe outbreak of 1713. It affected Cape Town and surrounding communities, causing deaths and interruptions to household labour, farming and trade. Khoikhoi communities and enslaved people encountered the epidemic within social conditions already shaped by land loss, forced labour, mobility and unequal access to care. The surviving evidence does not support a reliable total mortality figure.

Significance

The outbreak compounded the demographic and labour effects of 1713 and made epidemic disease a recurring feature of Cape social and economic life.

Why it matters

The epidemic deepened the demographic and economic effects of the 1713 outbreak and contributed to the recurring disease pressures that shaped Cape labour and pastoral society.

Disputed interpretations

The outbreak is established, but precise mortality, spread and downstream political effects are not securely quantified.

Perspective notes

Colonial records preserve the outbreak through settlement, health and administrative reports. The effects on rural Khoikhoi communities and enslaved households are less consistently recorded, so broad mortality claims should remain qualified.