Murphy’s Law at Work: Climate Anomalies, Famine, and Mortality Crises on the Jesuit Missions among the Guaraní, 1733–40

A devastating mortality crisis among the Guaraní, with over ninety thousand deaths between 1733 and 1740, was driven by a confluence of climate anomalies, food shortages, and military mobilization. Poor agricultural yields due to weather disruptions led to widespread famine, while royal officials' conscription of mission militiamen exacerbated conditions. The crisis also facilitated the spread of contagion, further devastating the population. Jesuit narrative reports, or 'cartas anuas,' provide unique insights into these events, detailing food shortages and the Jesuits' responses, as well as the inner workings of the missions during this turbulent period.

Jackson, R. H. (2023). Murphy’s Law at Work: Climate Anomalies, Famine, and Mortality Crises on the Jesuit Missions among the Guaraní, 1733–40. Journal of Jesuit Studies, 10(2), 278–306. https://doi.org/10.1163/22141332-10020005