CatastropheThe 18th century

Catastrophe in the 18th century

Every event in the Terralore archive tagged catastrophe — plague, famine, earthquake and other disasters, narrowed to the 18th century — 7 of them, drawn from 6 nations, running from 1713 to 1789. Each entry keeps the sources it was verified against and links back to the chronicle it came from.

Events
7
Nations
6
Earliest
1713
Latest
1789
Europe
3
Africa
1
Asia
1
North America
1
Oceania
1

Every entry below is the same record, with the same sources, as the one on its nation’s chronicle.

  1. Africa

    South Africa

    Smallpox devastates the Khoekhoe

    A smallpox epidemic introduced by passing ships killed great numbers of Khoekhoe, accelerating the loss of their land, herds and independence as the colony expanded.

    Era: The Dutch Cape Colony and the frontier

    Sources: South Africa (country, history and government) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History of slavery and early colonisation in South Africa · South African History Online

  2. Europe

    Portugal

    The great Lisbon earthquake

    An earthquake, tsunami and fire destroyed much of Lisbon and killed tens of thousands, prompting the reconstruction and reforms directed by the Marquis of Pombal.

    Era: Earthquake, Napoleon and the Loss of Brazil

    Sources: Lisbon earthquake of 1755 · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Marquis de Pombal · Encyclopaedia Britannica

  3. Asia

    Bangladesh

    The Great Bengal Famine

    An estimated ten million people — about a third of Bengal's population — die as monsoon failure compounds the East India Company's insistence on collecting land revenue from a starving peasantry.

    Era: British Conquest and Colonial Bengal

    Sources: History of Bangladesh · Encyclopædia Britannica

  4. North America

    Guatemala

    Santa Marta earthquakes ruin Antigua

    Powerful earthquakes devastate the colonial capital, leading to the transfer of government to present-day Guatemala City.

    Era: Colony, Independence, and Federation

    Sources: Antigua Guatemala · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Antigua Guatemala · UNESCO World Heritage Centre

  5. Europe

    Iceland

    The Laki eruption

    The Laki fissure erupted for eight months from June 1783, producing about 14.7 cubic kilometres of lava and immense quantities of toxic gas that poisoned the land and spread a haze across Europe.

    Era: Under Norway and Denmark: Reformation, Monopoly and Famine

    Sources: The Laki Fissure eruption, 1783–1784 · Encyclopedia of the Environment, Iceland: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica

  6. Europe

    Iceland

    The Móðuharðindin famine

    Fallout from Laki killed most of Iceland's livestock; the ensuing 'famine of the mist' killed roughly a fifth of the population, the worst disaster in the country's history.

    Era: Under Norway and Denmark: Reformation, Monopoly and Famine

    Sources: The Laki Fissure eruption, 1783–1784 · Encyclopedia of the Environment

  7. Oceania

    Australia

    Smallpox devastates Aboriginal peoples

    A smallpox epidemic spread among Aboriginal peoples around Sydney, killing a large proportion of the Eora and neighbouring peoples and compounding the impact of land seizure and conflict.

    Era: European contact and the First Fleet

    Sources: Australia (country) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Defining Moments: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history · National Museum of Australia