Colonial Brazil began with the arrival of the Portuguese on 22 April 1500, when Pedro Álvares Cabral‘s fleet reached the southern coast of Bahia.
Between 1500 and 1530 there was a period called Pre-Colonial in which no permanent colonies were established.
The main activity was the extraction of brazilwood, carried out by bartering with the indigenous peoples.
The Portuguese built factories on the coast to store the wood they extracted, but there was no interest in occupying the territory extensively, as Portugal’s priority was trading with the Indies.
The effective colonisation of Brazil began in 1530 with the expedition of Martim Afonso de Sousa, who founded the city of São Vicente in 1532.
The Portuguese Crown then organised the territory into hereditary captaincies, a form of administration delegated to private individuals. As many of these failed, the General Government was created in 1549, based in Salvador, to centralise power.
The colonial economy was based on plantations (monocultures for export), first with sugar, then with gold and, in some regions, with cattle and cotton.
This whole structure depended on indigenous slavery and especially African slavery, which became the mainstay of the colony’s labour force.
The international political situation changed Brazil’s destiny at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1808, the Portuguese Royal Family fled the Napoleonic invasions and settled in Rio de Janeiro, making the colony the seat of the Portuguese Empire. In 1815 Brazil was elevated to the United Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarve, officially ending its status as a colony.
These changes culminated in the Proclamation of Independence by Dom Pedro I on 7 September 1822 on the banks of the Ipiranga River, marking the end of Colonial Brazil and the birth of the Brazilian Empire.
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 […]
Brazilian Independence – The End of Colonial Ties in Brazil 1. introduction As you may have noticed, we have presented a reading of various factors related to the emancipation of Portuguese America. The growth and diversification of society, the establishment 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 linked to the arrival of the Court in Brazil. In this chapter, we will look at […]
Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil 1. Introduction In the previous chapter we looked at the main liberation movements influenced by French and English revolutionary ideals. However, these egalitarian ideals were part of the projects of an educated elite who looked to the Old Continent as an example to […]
The founding of 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 in the process of colonisation and settlement in colonial Brazil. We will also examine the actions of the São Paulo […]
Between the colonial regime and the establishment of empire in Brazil Brazil’s independence did not come about overnight, based on the individual wishes of the Prince Regent, but was in fact the result of a political, economic and cultural process involving a series of circumstances and interests. After reading this […]
Colonial sugar mills in Brazil 1 Introduction In this chapter we will study the establishment of the so-called colonial sugar mills in Brazil. The sugar mills established by the Portuguese, mainly in the Northeast and in the region of São Vicente, were to become a lucrative industry responsible for the […]
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 civilisational 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 foundation of Salvador 1. introduction In this topic we will study the establishment of the General Government. This historical event was an important milestone in Brazilian colonial history, as it led to the intensification of the settlement and colonisation of Brazil. This […]
The causes of Portuguese maritime expansion 1. introduction We are beginning our study of Brazilian colonial history. This whole process is characterised by the problematisation of the various causes that motivated the so-called Portuguese maritime and commercial expansion. This historical event is of paramount importance if we want to critically […]
Occupation of the African coast, the Atlantic islands and Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India Introduction. In this topic we will study the occupation of the African coast and the Atlantic islands, which were colonised by the Portuguese from the 15th century onwards. We will also study the voyage of […]
Pedro Álvares Cabral ‘‘s Expedition and the Conquest of Brazil 1. introduction In this chapter we begin our study of the “discovery” of Brazil. The word “discovery” is inappropriate because before the Portuguese arrived in the region we now call Brazil, it was inhabited by a wide variety of peoples. […]
Pre-colonial 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 stretches from 1500, with the “discovery” of Brazil, to 1531, with the arrival of Martim Afonso de Sousa’s “civilising […]
Establishing 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 colonisation of Brazil; Be aware of the historical consequences of colonisation in Brazil today; […]
The study of the following periods of Brazilian colonial history is of paramount importance, as it is from this period that the foundations of Brazilian history were laid. The history of colonial Brazil has been divided into the following periods: Portuguese maritime expansion and the conquest of Brazil, the stages […]
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 very beginning of the colonisation of Brazil, Portugal tried to use the experience gained in the production of sugar on the islands of Madeira and the Azores to introduce the “white gold”, as sugar was called at the time, to the vast Brazilian territories, due to its high […]
Learn about the history of the Galeão Sacramento shipwreck in Salvador and its relationship to the famous Barra lighthouse. The Shipwreck of the Galeão Sacramento occurred in 1668 off the coast of Salvador, Bahia and is one of the most famous nautical events in the maritime history of colonial Brazil. […]
The Captaincy of Todos os Santos Bay was one of the most important hereditary captaincies established by the Kingdom of Portugal at the beginning of the colonisation of Brazil in 1534. Granted to the grantee Francisco Pereira Coutinho, it occupied a strategic position on the Brazilian coast, centred on the […]
The history of the fortifications and defence of Salvador da Bahia reflects the evolution of defensive strategies and the military and colonial context of Brazil. Since its foundation in the 16th century, Salvador has established itself as a crucial strategic point for the defence of the Portuguese Empire in the […]
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 […]
1671 Map of Mexico and Central America “Yucatan Conventus Iuridici Hispaniae Novae Pars Occidentalis, et Guatimala Conventus Iuridicus”,
Skydiving, paragliding and ballooning: check out the aerial sightseeing options in Bahia. For those who want to have fun alone or with the family,
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
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