The Effects of Resettlement and the Development of the Urban Plan on Mission Demographic Patterns

A strong relationship exists between the spatial organization of mission communities and demographic patterns, particularly in terms of disease spread and population recovery. The study analyzed historic diagrams of urban plans alongside fertility and mortality data from censuses and registers of baptisms and burials at Jesuit missions among the Guaraní (Argentina/Brazil) and California. While the Guaraní populations experienced periodic epidemics like smallpox, leading to significant but recoverable losses due to their compact living arrangements, the California mission populations suffered chronic ailments such as syphilis and parasites from poor sanitation, with no population recovery observed.

Jackson, R. H. (2023). The Effects of Resettlement and the Development of the Urban Plan on Mission Demographic Patterns. Estudios de Historia Novohispana, (70), 69–120. https://doi.org/10.22201/iih.24486922e.2024.70.77778