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

Abstract

The modern adage known as Murphy’s Law states that what can go wrong will go wrong, and could be applied to a series of unfortunate events that befell the Jesuit administered missions among the Guaraní in the years 1733 to 1740. Weather anomalies resulted in poor crops and food shortages, and at the same time, royal officials mobilized thousands of Guaraní mission militiamen. Many Guaraní fled the missions in search of food, but the military mobilization and the flight of many from the missions also spread contagion. During the crisis period more than ninety thousand Guaraní died. The Jesuits prepared narrative reports known as cartas anuas that provide details regarding the crises and particularly the food shortages not found in other sources, as well as a sense of how the Jesuits responded to the crises. Details in the cartas anuas also reveal details of the inner workings of the missions.