THE WRATH OF GOD AND THE JUMPING FIRE: THE SMALLPOX EPIDEMY IN THE STATE OF MARANHÃO

Abstract

This article focus on the epidemic of “bexiga” in 1695, which devastated the state of Maranhão and Grão-Pará, aiming to demonstrate the impact of this disease in the inhabitants of the region, and the actions the need of workforce engendered in this context. The sources used are correspondence of official nature, such as the letters exchanged between the colonial authori­ties and the Portuguese Crown, and the written chronicles of the Jesuit priest João Filipe Bettendorff. Besides being inserted in studies on the Colonial Amazon, this research also seeks to dialogue with the authors of the so called “environmental history” since the studied epidemic reveals one environmen­tal variable that weighed considerably in the decisions about the colonization of Maranhão in that period. Keywords: epidemic, colonial period, Maranhão State