Studia Historica: Historia Contemporánea (Mar 2018)
«Paths of reckless distance». the impact that emigration had in the religious life of the population of Zamora in the early twentieth century
Abstract
Between the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth, many Europeans left their home countries for America in a population movement that affected many local entities. Some studies have explored the economic and social factors produced by emigration and in this article we aim to show the influence that this demographic phenomenon had in the religiosity and morality of the Zamora population in the early twentieth century. The basic sources to build this discourse are forms completed by parish priests in response to some questions from the Holy See and transmitted by the bishop to the whole diocese in 1913, as well as Easter Communion records collected in years thereafter. With them we can get some interesting statistical data on emigration, such as the preferred destinations by Zamoranos, the reasons for their exodus and especially the impact that this migration had in their religiosity and morality.
