Résumés
Abstract
The early twentieth century was a time of dramatic social, economic, political, demographic, and health-related change in Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the major upheavals at this time was the 1918 influenza pandemic, which led to the deaths of nearly 2,000 residents of the Dominion. In this paper we examine the short- and long-term demographic consequences of this catastrophic event. We focus on changes in the overall age and sex distribution, fertility levels, and cause-specific (for selected causes) and overall mortality before, during,and after the 1918 pandemic. Data on these demographic processes and the prevalent social conditions have been collected at The Rooms, the Digital Archives at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and other archives in the province and online. Results indicate that, although the 1918 pandemic had major impacts over the short term on fertility, mortality, and the age and sex structure, both on the island as a whole and in every region analyzed, these effects were of short duration. Long-term demographic changes occurring on the island duringthe first half of the twentieth century appear to be more related to the large-scale socio-economic changes that occurred through the long process of moving from an independent Dominion to Confederation with Canada.
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Biographical notes
Lisa Sattenspiel is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Missouri. She has been studying infectious diseases and demography for over 45 years and has been examining the 1918 influenza pandemic and other early 20th century health issues in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2006. Other significant research on historical epidemics includes studies in Alaska, Manitoba, Ontario, and Missouri.
Taylor van Doren is a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Circumpolar Health studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her primary research interests are the historical demography and epidemiology of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Newfoundland and Alaska.
Jessica Dimka is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Seton Hall University. Her current research focuses on the relationships between chronic health conditions, disabilities, and infectious diseases during epidemics and pandemics.