Jesuits of America Fond, 1561-1800
Inscribed on the Memory of the World Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2002 and on the MoW International Register in 2003, the Jesuits of America Fond consists of 446 volumes from the "Juntas de Temporalidades - CompañÃa de Jesús", an official organism of the Spanish Crown whose function was to carry out the registration and administration of assets confiscated from the Jesuits after their expulsion from the various territories dominated by the Spanish Crown in 1767. The documents in the fonds were produced between 1561 and 1800, originating in the various Jesuit provinces including Argentina, Bogotá, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador. In addition, the collection contains relevant testimonies for the history of the Antilles, Cuba, Spain, the Philippines, Mexico and Paraguay, related to all fields of action of the Society of Jesus, created in Rome in 1540 during the Papacy of Paul III.
As a result of the decree of expulsion of the Society, original documents related to inventories of its properties were collected, including account books, royal orders, correspondence, and reports on religious, educational, and economic activities. This fonds constitutes a unique reference for researchers interested in the study of the continuity of the universal work of the Society of Jesus in Hispano-America.