The history of Brazil developed out of a long and complex period of disputes over national projects marked by strong moments of instability.
Brazilian history does not have a well-defined starting point.
Nevertheless, traditionally there is a recurring date of the arrival of the Portuguese with Pedro Álvares Cabral on 22 April 1500 in the coastal region of what is now Bahia.
This was then the “discovery of Brazil”.
However, it should be emphasised that this was the discovery of the Portuguese.
Various ethnic groups already inhabited the territory that became Brazil long before any Europeans landed there.
Brazil is the historical result of several different projects that took place within a specific geographical delimitation. First there was a project of conquest; then a project of colonisation; in the 19th century, a project of Empire and the constitution of a nation-state; and finally, a project of Brazil as a Republic, which is what we are still trying to maintain today.
1. Pre-Cabral Period (~ -1500)
2. Pre-Colonial Period (1500-1530)
3. Colonial Period (1530-1815)
4. Imperial Period
Imperial period from 1822, with Brazil’s independence, to 1889, with the proclamation of the Republic
5. Republican Period
The Brazilian Republic, the period under which the country is still in force, can be divided as follows: First Republic/Old Republic (1889-1930), Provisional Government (1930-1934), Vargas Constitutional Government (1934-1937), New State (1937-1945), Fourth Republic (1945-1964), Military Dictatorship (1964-1985), and New Republic (1985 to the present day).
Carlos Julião, a military engineer and draughtsman of Italian origin in the service of the Portuguese crown, never lived or settled in Brazil. He lived in Portugal, where he worked in the colonial administration, but produced a vast body of work on the Portuguese colonies, including Brazil. His drawings and […]
Jews in colonial Brazil faced a complex and often difficult situation. During the colonial period, Brazil was a Portuguese colony and the Inquisition had a great influence on social and religious life. Judaism was therefore forbidden and any Jewish practice was strictly repressed. Judaism had four phases in colonial Brazil […]
The Portuguese discoveries took place as a result of the Portuguese maritime expansion that marked the history of Portugal and the history of the world. Throughout the 15th century, the Portuguese transformed and perfected all known shipbuilding and navigation techniques. The Portuguese maritime expansion was an unprecedented development. The impression […]
Sunday 13 May 1888 dawned sunny in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Brazilian Empire. It was a day of celebration. Slavery came to an end through a law voted in the Senate and signed by Princess Isabel. Brazil was the last country in the Americas to end slavery. […]
The history of Brazil developed out of a long and complex period of disputes over national projects marked by strong moments of instability. Brazilian history does not have a well-defined starting point. However, traditionally, there is a recurring date for the arrival of the Portuguese with Pedro Álvares Cabral, on […]
Independence of Brazil – Breaking of colonial ties in Brazil 1. Introduction As you may have realised, we have presented a reading of different factors related to the emancipation of Portuguese America. The growth and diversification of society, the installation of the Portuguese Court in Brazil and the protest movements […]
Portuguese Empire in Brazil – Portuguese Royal Family in Brazil 1 Introduction We have seen the influence of revolutionary ideas on the main liberation movements in Portuguese America. We have also studied certain events related to the arrival of the Court in Brazil. In this chapter we’ll look at the […]
Transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil 1. Introduction In the previous chapter, we saw the main liberation movements influenced by French and English revolutionary ideals. These egalitarian ideals, however, were part of the projects of a literate elite, who looked to the Old Continent as an example to be […]
Founding the city of São Paulo and the Bandeirantes 1. Introduction In this chapter we will study the founding of the city of São Paulo and its importance to the process of colonisation and settlement of colonial Brazil. We will also study the action of the São Paulo bandeirantes in […]
Between the colonial regime and the establishment of the Empire in Brazil Brazil’s independence did not happen overnight, based on the individual desire of the prince regent, but was in fact the result of a political, economic and cultural process that involved a series of circumstances and interests. From this […]
The Iberian Union and the Dutch Invasion of Brazil 1. Introduction In the first part of this chapter we will study the so-called “Iberian Union”, which represented the union of the Portuguese crown with the Spanish crown. This occurred due to the death of the king of Portugal, whose closest […]
Colonial Sugar Mills in Brazil 1 Introduction In this chapter we will study the establishment in Brazil of the so-called colonial sugar mills or sugar mills in Colonial Brazil The sugar mills set up by the Portuguese, mainly in the northeast and in the region of São Vicente, were to […]
Monoculture, Slave Labour and Latifundia in Colonial Brazil 1 Introduction In this chapter we will study the historical process of the introduction of the Portuguese civilisation project for the settlement and colonisation of Brazil. Colonial Brazil, in Brazilian history, is the period from 1530 to 1822. This period began when […]
Installation of the General Government in Brazil and the Foundation of Salvador 1. Introduction In this topic we will study the installation of the General Government. This historical event was an important milestone in Brazilian colonial history, as it was from this event that the settlement and colonisation of Brazil […]
The study of the periods of Colonial Brazilian History mentioned below is of paramount importance, as it was from this time that the foundations of Brazilian history were laid. The History of Colonial Brazil was divided into the following periods: The Portuguese maritime expansion and conquest of Brazil, the stages […]
Installation of the Portuguese Colony in Brazil In this chapter you will be able to: understand the historical process that led to the establishment of the colony; reflect on the power relations established in the process of colonising Brazil; be aware of the historical consequences of the colonisation of Brazil […]
Pre-Colonial Period in Brazil – The Forgotten Years 1. Introduction In this chapter we will study the pre-colonial period, also known as “the forgotten years” of Brazil’s colonisation. The Pre-Colonial Period in Brazil runs from 1500, with the “discovery” of Brazil, to 1531, with the arrival of Martim Afonso de […]
Pedro Álvares Cabral’s Expedition and the Conquest of Brazil 1 Introduction In this chapter we will begin our study of the “discovery” of Brazil. The word “discovery” is not appropriate, because before the Portuguese arrived in the region we now call Brazil, it was already inhabited by a wide variety […]
Occupation of the African Coast, the Atlantic Islands and the Voyage of Vasco da Gama to India Introduction In this topic we will study the portuguese occupation of the African coast, as well as the Atlantic islands, colonised by the Portuguese from the 15th century onwards. We will also study […]
The Causes of Portuguese Maritime Expansion 1. Introduction We are beginning our studies in the subject of Brazilian Colonial History. This whole process is marked by problematisations, causes of different kinds that motivated the so-called Portuguese maritime and commercial expansion. This historical event is of paramount importance if we are […]
Catas Altas is a graceful colonial town that was founded in 1712. Located 110 kilometres from Belo Horizonte on the MG-129 and BR-381 motorways, it borders Santa Bárbara, Mariana and Alvinópolis. Located at the foot of the Caraça mountain range, especially the peak of Catas Altas, at an altitude of […]
Pico do Itacolomi in Pico do Itacolomi State Park (“stone-child” in Tupi-Guarani), with its 1772 metres, was the point of reference for bandeirantes searching for gold in the Minas Gerais hills at the end of the 15th century. It was in the streams that cut through its surroundings that gold was […]
The Arraial de Sabarabuçu, founded in 1674 with the arrival of the Fernão Dias flag under the command of Borba Gato, was elevated to Vila Real de-Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Sabarabuçu in 1711. The alluvial gold that flowed from the now polluted and pale Rio das Velhas gave it […]
For more than three hundred years, Minas Gerais supported the Portuguese Crown, helped to build the idea of an independent Brazilian nation and always managed to remain influential in Brazilian political decisions. In the beginning it was the backlands. In the first centuries of colonization, the territory that we now […]
Baroque appeared in Brazil a little later, during the 18th century. The Baroque of Minas Gerais was a peculiar version of the Baroque that developed in Minas Gerais between the 18th and 19th centuries. Architecture, painting, sacred sculpture and music all featured prominently in the Baroque of Minas Gerais. Evoking […]
The Caraça Sanctuary Complex is the only private natural heritage reserve with 11,233 hectares of enchanting transitional landscapes of Atlantic forest and savannah framed by a mountain range with peaks over 2,000 meters high that is part of the Espinhaço mountain range. The Serra do Espinhaço is a mountain range located […]
Serra do Cipó National Park is located in the south of the Espinhaço mountain range in Minas Gerais. The Serra do Cipó encompasses the municipalities of Jaboticatubas and Santana do Riacho, both of which have a good infrastructure of inns and restaurants. Serra do Cipó National Park, with altitudes ranging […]
In the early days of exploration in the gold region, at the end of the 17th century, a long road connected the mining settlements to the port of Paraty, crossing the Mantiqueira mountain range. The journey took three months. In 1698, the bandeirante Garcia Rodrigues obtained authorization to open a […]
The town of Serro, in its early days known as the former Vila do Príncipe do Serro Frio, was the seat of one of the first four districts of the Captaincy of Minas Gerais. The city’s colonial architecture has been preserved, and its streets retain the characteristics of the eighteenth-century […]
Diamantina in Minas Gerais, 280 kilometers north of Belo Horizonte via the BR-040 highway, is the gateway to the Jequitinhonha valley. Its formation dates back to the 18th century; it was then called the arraial of Tijuco, and arose from the exploitation of diamonds, which was ruthlessly controlled by the […]
Modern buildings mix with colonial relics in São João del Rei, whose history begins at the end of the 17th century. In 1713, the village founded by bandeirantes on the banks of the River Mortes was elevated to the status of a town with its current name, in honor of […]
At the beginning of the 18th century, the future Tiradentes was just another prosperous mining town in Minas Gerais. In 1718 it was elevated to the category of town and renamed São José, in honor of the Portuguese prince. The current name came only after the Republic, in reference to […]
The Church of São Francisco de Assis, located in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, is considered one of the masterpieces of the Brazilian Baroque. During the colonial period, no city grew as much and as fast as the curvaceous Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais. The abundance of gold and precious metals […]
Aleijadinho is considered the greatest representative of the Baroque style in Minas Gerais and is known for his soapstone sculptures, wood carvings, altars and churches. Biography of Antônio Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho Antônio Francisco Lisboa (1738-1814), better known by his nickname Aleijadinho, was born in Ouro Preto, the […]
The Sanctuary of Bom Senhor Jesus de Matozinhos is home to one of the most valuable monuments on the planet and is located in the city of Congonhas, in the central region of Minas Gerais. Geniuses such as Aleijadinho and Mestre Ataíde not only created true masterpieces, but also promoted […]
Mariana in Minas Gerais is one of the most important historic cities on the Minas Gerais Gold Circuit. Together with its districts, it holds interesting relics from the time when the history of the state began to be drawn. Mariana was the first capital of Minas Gerais, the first city […]
Look at the road, look at the bridge, look at the mountain / where the white church is cut out. This is how Cecília Meireles described the old Vila Rica, and this is how – the church towers and the old roofs standing out against the dark backdrop of the […]
The history of Bahia began with the arrival of the Portuguese in Porto Seguro and then with colonisation, the empire and the republic. The official history of Brazil began in Bahia; history records that the discoverer, Pedro Álvares Cabral, landed on the shores of the region where Porto Seguro is […]
Discover the fascinating history of sugar cane, which originated in Papua New Guinea, its introduction in the Algarve and expansion to Madeira Island and Brazil. Learn how sugar cultivation fuelled the colonial development and economy of Pernambuco in the 16th century. Sugarcane, which originated in Papua New Guinea, was cultivated […]
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Brazil, still under the rule of the Portuguese crown, became the target of foreign interests due to its strategic and economic importance. The Bay of All Saints, in particular, emerged as a vital point on the trade routes, attracting the attention of […]
From the beginning of Brazilian colonisation, Portugal sought to use the experience gained in sugar production on the islands of Madeira and the Azores to implement white gold, as sugar was then known, in the vast Brazilian lands due to its high value on the European market. The official establishment […]
The sinking of the Galleon Sacramento took place in 1668 off the coast of Salvador, Bahia, and is one of the most famous nautical events in the maritime history of colonial Brazil. Salvador is home to some of the oldest fortifications and lighthouses on the American continent, such as Forte de […]
The defenses of Porto da Barra consist of two significant historical forts: Forte de Santa Maria and Forte de São Diogo, located at strategic points at the entrance of the Baía de Todos os Santos in Salvador. The prominence of these fortifications in Salvador’s landscape clearly reflects the tactical and […]
The Captaincy of the Bahia de Todos os Santos was one of the main hereditary captaincies established by the Kingdom of Portugal at the beginning of the colonization of Brazil in 1534. Granted to the donatário Francisco Pereira Coutinho, it occupied a strategic position on the Brazilian coast, centered on the […]
The history of the fortifications and defenses of Salvador da Bahia reflects the evolution of protection strategies and the military and colonial context of Brazil. Since its foundation in the 16th century, Salvador established itself as a crucial strategic point for defending the Portuguese empire in the New World. This […]
Learn more about the origins of sugarcane, which began in Asia and spread throughout Europe and the Americas, arriving in colonial Brazil, where it became one of the main economic activities. The expansion of sugar cane cultivation fuelled the development of various types of mills, which varied in size and […]
The story of the Discovery Coast begins on 22 April 1500, when Pedro Álvares Cabral ‘s squadron spotted a rounded elevation, Mount Pascoal, located to the south of Bahia. In search of a safe place to dock, the thirteen ships sailed along the coast to the north and, at dusk on […]
Carlos Julião, a military engineer and draughtsman of Italian origin in the service of the Portuguese crown, never lived or settled in Brazil. He
Jews in colonial Brazil faced a complex and often difficult situation. During the colonial period, Brazil was a Portuguese colony and the Inquisition
The Catedral Basílica de Salvador is one of the most important sacred buildings from Colonial Brazil. A testament to the history and Catholicism in
The Nossa Senhora de Monte Serrat Fort, located in the city of Salvador, Bahia, is one of the most iconic and well-preserved examples of colonial
São Raimundo Nonato, located in the state of Piauí, is a city that attracts tourists interested in history, culture, archaeology and nature. São
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The town of Miranda in Mato Grosso do Sul is a base for travellers crossing the southern Pantanal and there are a number of farms in the region where
Of the historic heritage towns in the north-east, 11 are in Bahia and depict the process of occupation of Bahian territory up until the end of the
The Portuguese discoveries took place as a result of the Portuguese maritime expansion that marked the history of Portugal and the history of the
Sunday 13 May 1888 dawned sunny in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Brazilian Empire. It was a day of celebration. Slavery came to an end through a
Historical Map of Africa from 1570 Ortelius’ Cornerstone Map of Africa “Africae Tabula Nova”, Ortelius, Abraham Period: 1570
The architectural complex of the town of Monte Santo in Bahia has great scenic and symbolic beauty, combining natural and cultural heritage, and is
The architectural style of the Chapada Diamantina reflects the rich history of the region, marked by the diamond mining cycle in the 18th and 19th
The Chapada Diamantina is located in the centre of the state of Bahia and covers an area of 50,610 km2, stretching north-south in a “Y”
The city of Aquidauana MS is the Gateway to the Pantanal, one of the most beautiful ecosystems in the world and with many tourist attractions. The
Coxim belongs to the central-western region of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Originally, the Caypós Indians lived in Coxim and the city was known
The Alcatrazes Archipelago was a former target for cannon fire, Alcatrazes is a living laboratory for evolutionary studies. The Alcatrazes
The jararaca-ilhoa lives exclusively on Queimada Grande Island, also known as the island of snakes; The jararaca-ilhoa is a sui generis snake,
Corumbá MS lies on the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and Bolivia, and is also strongly influenced by the customs and traditions of the
The pleasant city of Campo Grande, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is characterised by its urban planning, with wide, tree-lined avenues.
