The demographic and social profile of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, 1860

Abstract

This article studies the population structure of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, using a civil census of the year 1860 and the death certificates of the parish registry. This census provides age records, an uncommon item in this type of census in the nineteenth century. By projecting an age and sex group population pyramid, the identification of life spans provided insights into the social structure, as it revealed, in this case, a young population and work integration at an early age, as well as null work retirement. The sources studied here also make it possible to identify migratory phenomena and high infant mortality, as well as the effect of mortality crisis on the population.