Demographic Change and Ethnic Survival Among the Sedentary Populations on the Jesuit Mission Frontiers of Spanish South America, 1609–1803: The Formation and Persistence of Mission Communities in a Comparative Context, written by Robert H. Jackson

Research reveals that Jesuit missions in Paraguayan Chiquitos and the Río de la Plata experienced epidemic-driven demographic crises similar to virgin-soil epidemics, with mortality rates reaching 60% during smallpox outbreaks. Unlike endemic diseases, these epidemics struck every 15–20 years, leaving populations vulnerable due to low immunity. Jackson identifies three key factors enabling population recovery: stable social structures, balanced gender ratios, and high birth rates (2.2% annually), which surged post-epidemic. The study triangulates archaeological evidence, mission records, and census data to analyze trends across seven missions, highlighting unique patterns like those in Los Santos Mártires del Japón. This work challenges assumptions about epidemic impacts and offers comparative insights into mission demographics in Spanish South America.

Austin, S. M. (2016). Demographic Change and Ethnic Survival Among the Sedentary Populations on the Jesuit Mission Frontiers of Spanish South America, 1609–1803: The Formation and Persistence of Mission Communities in a Comparative Context, written by Robert H. Jackson. Journal of Jesuit Studies, 3(1), 102–104. https://doi.org/10.1163/22141332-00301005-05