Taal Volcano, Society and History

Translation of Julie Duchene's Master thesis

« Volcans, Société et Histoire. 1754, la fureur du Taal »

In 1754, in the Philippines, the Taal volcano poured out its destructive anger all around it. It was the most important eruption in its history, yet little studied until now. But what really happened during this event? What is the magnitude of this extraordinary phenomenon? This book plunges into the heart of the eruption of 1754 through a journey through viatic, encyclopedic and scientific literature, missionary sources, the archives of the Spanish administration and the press. This mobilization of diverse sources allows us to examine and clarify the consequences of the 1754 eruption and the resilience of the local populations. This book is also an opportunity to establish a panorama of European and North American sources useful for the study of the Taal and its historical eruption, to focus on the voyages and maritime expeditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, generators of these writings, and finally, to draw a portrait of the Taal of that time. Between past and future, this study intends to contribute both to the construction of knowledge in history and to the multidisciplinary research developed around the Taal volcano. What would happen if tomorrow, the Taal regained its anger of 1754?