Widows and neighbors, corn fields and magueys. The impact of population growth in the Toluca Valley: The case of Tenango del Valle in the eighteenth century
The main objective of this article is to point out various effects of the considerable population growth experienced by Tenango del Valle in the eighteenth century. Based on data from the census taken by the parish priest in 1770, in the seat of that parish and in the disctricts he visited, as well...
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 1992 |
| País: | México |
| Institución: | EL COLEGIO DE MÉXICO |
| Repositorio: | Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos |
| Idioma: | español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:oai.estudiosdemograficosyurbanos.colmex.mx:article/834 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://estudiosdemograficosyurbanos.colmex.mx/index.php/edu/article/view/834 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Valle de Toluca demografía histórica población novohispana |
| Sumario: | The main objective of this article is to point out various effects of the considerable population growth experienced by Tenango del Valle in the eighteenth century. Based on data from the census taken by the parish priest in 1770, in the seat of that parish and in the disctricts he visited, as well as data from other registers of inhabitants made between 1748 and 1848 for that region, the author analyzes different features of the population. First she focuses on the extension and growth of that parish, the ethnic composition and the changes that took place, especially within the seat of the parish, where the number of Spanish or Mestizo families rose sevenfold during the period under review, and the problems said change caused regarding landholding. Another aspect studied is the effect of the overpopulation which occurred in the region, and its consequences on the composition and size of households of both the indigenous and Spanish population. In the case of Tenango, the data for the year 1784 show that the indigenous community still had a good basis for subsistence, but that in time, the progressive fragmentation of property, along with the leasing of lands to the Spaniards, ended up impoverishing the indigenous families in that area. As a result, that group generally lived in poverty and, thus, was forced to devote itself to other activities. The population of the districts visited by the parish priest suffered a similar fate, since the lands they had were of poor quality and did not alLow them to reach a subsistence level. Lastly, the author looks into the status of women in this context, and stresses the high percentage of widows and of women as heads of household in the region, and the problems that these women had both in gaining access to the land and in caring for their families. |
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