After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, disease, war and overwork killed part of the native population. In a number of areas, the Spanish brought in African slaves to replace the lost labor. Juan Garrido, one of numerous African conquistadors, accompanied Hernán Cortés in Mexico in 1519. During the colonial period, there was a significant African slave population. Large quantities of slaves were imported starting in the mid-1500s and by 16th and 17th centuries. The first Africans brought to the Pacific coast arrived to Acapulco brought by Spanish galleons. Many later arrivals included escaped black slaves, called “"cimarrones"” who found refuge in the area. However, most local stories about how Africans arrived to the area have to do with local shipwrecks, whether it was a slave ship or not. All end with the idea that they found freedom and refuge in the communities along the coast. Due to the isolation of the area and their desire to keep their freedom, little was written about their history.