| 1856 Guam smallpox epidemic | |
|---|---|
| Disease | Smallpox |
| Location | Guam, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire |
| First outbreak | American schooner E.L. Frost from the Philippines |
| Arrival date | February 1856 |
Deaths | 4,563 |
An epidemic of smallpox in 1856 on the west Pacific island of Guam, then under the control of Spain, resulted in the death of over half of the population, or about 4,500 people. The population collapse led Spanish authorities to transfer the population of Pago to Hagåtña, ending a settlement dating back before colonization. It also led the Governor of the Spanish Mariana Islands to encourage immigration to Guam.