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Towards the middle of the XIXth century, Cartagena de Indias had about 18,000 inhabitants approximately. This numbers would be notably reduced by the cholera plague that struck the city in 1849, sinking it in the most progressive decadence to be seen in the beginning of the republican period.
A certain day some fishermen died after being fishing at sea, this is what
supposedly unleashed the cholera epidemic. At the public market other people fell sick and the medical diagnose was "cholera", a sickness that appeared for the first time in America.
The plague spread all over the city and the massive deaths made the authorities dig a huge common pit at the cemetery in Manga. In desperation every once in a while canons were shot to "purify" the air with the gun powder, but this only scared the neighbors.
The authorities took measures to attend those who were most affected, mainly humble people with limited resources. A solidarity spirit was felt among everyone, poor and rich, for the epidemic attacked without discrimination.
After five weeks, the plague started to diminish its expansion, until it disappeared; but would move with its death burden to the riverside populations of the Magdalena River.
It is said that one third of the population in Cartagena de Indias died. | 
