Brazilian Independence Research Articles

Death is a festival: funeral rites and rebellion in nineteenth-century Brazil

This award-winning social history of death and funeral rites during the early decades of Brazil's independence from Portugal focuses on the Cemiterada movement in Salvador, capital of the province of Bahia. The book opens with a lively account of the popular riot that ensued when, in 1836, the government condemned the traditional burial of bodies inside Catholic church buildings and granted a private company a monopoly over burials. This episode is used by Reis to examine the customs of death and burial in Bahian society, explore the economic and religious conflicts behind the move for funerary reforms and the maintenance of traditional rituals of dying, and understand how people dealt with new concerns sparked by modernization and science. Viewing culture within its social context, he illuminates the commonalities and differences that shaped death and its rituals for rich and poor, men and women, slaves and masters, adults and children, foreigners and Brazilians. This translation makes the book, originally published in Brazil in 1993, available in English for the first time.

História nacional em São Paulo: o Museu Paulista em 1922

O texto trata dos cinco primeiros anos da gestão de Affonso de Escragnolle de Taunay no Museu Paulista, de 1971 a 1922. Neste curto período, essencial para entender o perfil que o Museu adquiriu posteriormente, Taunay deu à vetusta instituição do Ipiranga os principais contornos de um museu histórico, ou mais precisamente, de um "lugar de memória" nacional, pretendendo fixá-lo como lugar de origem da nação brasileira e, ao mesmo tempo, concedendo a São Paulo o ansiado destaque no cenário nacional. A autora aborda assim as principais transformações que foram feitas no Museu, em relação à diretoria anterior do naturalista Hermman von Ihering, acompanhando ano a ano abertura de novas salas dedicadas à história nacional e paulista e a realização paulatina da decoração histórica dos espaços monunentais do Museu para a festa do centenário da Independência brasileira em 1922.

O desejo da liberdade e a participação de homens livres pobres e "de cor" na Independência do Brasil

A Independência do Brasil não fez parte da "lógica natural" dos fatos, vinculada a uma crise do Sistema Colonial que colocava a Colônia versus a Metrópole. Após o grito do Ipiranga, a imprensa e as autoridades, tanto em suas cartas pessoais como em suas correspondências de trabalho, tocavam no assunto de forma cuidadosa. Tentavam convencer aqueles que eram simpatizantes da "causa do Brasil" de que a independência como separação política era uma realidade a ser mantida. Um dos motivos alegados eram rebeliões das ruas de cidades como o Rio de Janeiro. As insurreições da população "de cor" da Corte não foram apenas uma ameaça constante, erigiram-se em realidade palpável nas fugas, nos ajuntamentos e nos tumultos, que não raro se transformaram em devassas e que pontilham a documentação da Polícia e do Ministério da Justiça. Os escravos e libertos participaram com igual intensidade da política do país e dos movimentos ocorridos. Fizeram uma leitura própria das idéias sobre a independência como autonomia, sobre a liberdade e sobre a libertação do jugo da reescravização, tentando colocá-las na prática em diferentes momentos.

O Brasil de Rugendas nas edições populares ilustradas

O presente texto procura analisar, no mercado francês de imagens reproduzidas em larga escala, a inserção de um pequeno conjunto de imagens sobre o Brasil produzidas em primeiro lugar por Johan Moritz Rugendas no período que se sucedeu à independencia política do país. A relação entre as imagens escolhidas, os procedimentos utilizados nas suas produções, o público ao qual endereçavam-se e o mercado no qual se inseriam possibilita delinear a diversidade de usos e de sentidos que se fazem possíveis nesse momento em que os procedimentos técnicos não somente reproduzem as imagens, mas lhes imprimem uma potência antes desconhecida, tanto no que se refere à sua circulação quanto à proliferação de seus sentidos, das atividades e dos valores que passam a gerar.

O feudo: A casa da torre de Garcia d’Ávila: Da conquista dos sertões à independência do Brasil

In an article published in 1882, Capistrano de Abreu wondered why nobody had yet written about the history of the Garcia d’Ávilas family (a.k.a. Casa da Torre), the largest landowners in Brazilian history. The public had to wait for more than 50 years for Pedro Calmon’s book about this family. Now, six decades after the appearance of Calmon’s study, the reader may again indulge his/her curiosity about that long chapter of the Brazilian history with a new book by Luiz Alberto Moniz Bandeira.Funded by the Brazilian government’s Cultural Ministry, Moniz Bandeira, aided by a group of research assistants, did thorough research in various archives located in several different countries in order to locate sources and data concerning the history of the Garcia d’Ávilas family from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.He begins his work discussing the legend and times of Caramuru and Catarina Paraguaçu, supposedly the great-grandparents of Garcia d’Ávilas’s heir and the forefathers of a Brazilian nationality. Further, he describes the arrival of Garcia d’Ávila in Brazil, his connections with the first governor, and the beginning of what would be known as the largest “latifundium” in Brazil. The author discloses a number of data concerning the role of Garcia d’Ávila and his descendents in the occupation of the Brazilian hinterland, their connections with the colonial and metropolitan authorities, their grievances with ecclesiastical personnel, and their activities in a number of colonial wars, battles, and rebellions. The independence of Brazil and its aftermath, specifically the tumultuous situation of Bahia before and after the “the second of July” (the festive day of Bahian independence), merits four chapters, focused primarily on the day after day battles and on the contributions of Garcia d’Ávila’s descendants, which by that time were also descendants of the Carvalho Pires de Albuquerque, an old family of sugar landlords. Moniz Bandeira finishes his chronology of the Casa da Torre with its decay and the dispersion of its old possessions.In addition, he also dedicates many pages to the endogenous history of the family, describing the personality of the d’Ávilas, marriage alliances, private scandals, deeds, and misdeeds. Moreover, Bandeira, in a disapproving tone, suggests in a series of paragraphs possible errors of other scholars concerning specific dates, names, genealogy matters, and the preeminence of some of the d’Avilas’ descendants in certain particular situations.Throughout the book, but particularly in its introduction, Moniz Bandeira argues that the “latifundium” of the d’Ávilas and their relations with those beneath and above them (the Crown) were similar to those of feudal societies. To the author, even the fortified house built by the first Garcia d’Ávila was a typical medieval construction, an allegation that seems to contradict what has been observed by Rafael Moreira, a historian of architecture, to whom the whole ensemble (mainly the chapel) is a perfect example of renaissance style. But, as the minister of culture wrote in his preface to the book, it doesn’t seem necessary to discuss the validity of such statements.Due to the importance of the “Casa da Torre” in the colonization of Brazil and the extensive research orchestrated by Moniz Bandeira, the reader may sometimes feel that his/her urges for novelty and information were not completely satisfied. As the author himself states in a number of passages, the occupation of the hinterland, together with the raising of cattle to meet the needs of a growing society and people were, in fact, conducted by a number of procurers, renters, agregados (those who lived by favor in somebody else’s house or land), and possibly a whole lot of squatters. Although he mentions the existence of such characters, emphasizing the strenuous situations the d’Ávilas had to overcome in face of their demands for land, a more thorough narrative about these relations, the effective occupation of the hinterland, the impact of economic fluctuations on their possessions and activities would have shad some light on a quite obscure chapter of the Brazilian past.Considering that the d’Ávilas family started with cattle raising but eventually became important plantation owners—having under their power a number of free workers and slaves and also having connections with almost all the Bahian elite— some extra pages about their properties over 350 years could have furnished new information on the following topics: connections between cattle raising and the sugar industry, especially during the sugar boom of the 1790s; changes (if any) in the everyday relations of free and slaves workers; and the emergence of new elites.The various sources brought to light by the author will probably elucidate a series of uncertainties, clarifying the chronology of the period. It would have been useful, though, if some of those documents had been published as an appendix, so that the reader could have direct access to the contents of Moniz Bandeira’s discoveries.

Os minerais são uma fonte de conhecimento e de riquezas: As memórias mineralógicas produzidas por José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva

José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva tem sua presença marcada na historiografia, de forma quase que consensual, em torno de sua identificação como o "Patriarca da Independência", o que corresponde ao primado concedido ao seu perfil de estadista e parlamentar. Contudo, ele notabilizou-se não apenas como homem público mas também como estudioso e pesquisador do mundo natural. Participou de viagens científicas, foi sócio de sociedades científicas européias, publicou diversas memórias no âmbito da história natural e administrou espaços governamentais portugueses ligados à mineração e à agricultura. Um destes foi a Intendência Geral das Minas e Metais do Reino, e como fruto do seu trabalho neste espaço, foram produzidas memórias científicas no campo da mineralogia. Algumas delas foram publicadas, entretanto outras permaneceram inéditas e dispersas em diversos acervos arquivísticos e bibliográficos. Nosso objetivo é trazer ao público duas dessas dissertações, encontradas no Arquivo do Museu Paulista na Coleção José Bonifácio, relacionadas aos seus trabalhos práticos de mineração no âmbito da Intendência.

Indigenous Rights in Democratic Brazil

In 1831, nine years after Brazil's independence from Portugal, the govern ment enacted legislation addressing indigenous peoples' rights in the new country. The progressive set of laws revoked decrees by the Portuguese Crown that had authorized total against indigenous peoples and servitude for war prisoners. The Brazilian law, instead, determined that indigenous peoples' material and personal rights be placed under the protection of the Justice of Orphans.1 Clearly, the legislator operated under the two prevailing assumptions about indigenous peoples at the time: First, that were of autonomous interaction with Brazilian civilized society and thus needed the guidance and protection of the state (as did orphan children); second, that such guidance and protection should ultimately lead to the eventual assimilation of indigenous peoples into the Brazilian society. Such a paternalist and assimilationist approach remained dominant within Brazil's legislation and state institutions for most of the twentieth century. When, in 1916, the Brazilian Civil Code was approved, it included Indians among those considered relatively incapable to exercise their rights (together with minors and the mentally ill).2 In their interactions with

Em outra coisa não falavam os pardos, cabras, e crioulos: o "recrutamento" de escravos na guerra da Independência na Bahia

Este artigo analisa o recrutamento de escravos para as forças patriotas durante a guerra pela independência brasileira na Bahia (1822 a 1823) e faz uma distinção entre os recrutamentos de escravos e de homens livres e libertos de cor, freqüentemente confundidos. O alistamento de escravos durante esse conflito foi uma medida improvisada pelo comandante brasileiro, e não havia promessas de liberdade para os escravos. Depois do conflito, o governo brasileiro mandou alforriar os escravos que serviram, compensando seus donos. Ao mesmo tempo, autoridades lidaram com a grande quantidade de homens de cor alistados durante a guerra, contraste marcante à fileira principalmente branca do final da época colonial. A participação de soldados libertos no Levante dos Periquitos de 1824 serviu de pretexto para deportá-los, e também soldados não-brancos, da guarnição baiana. Dessa maneira, autoridades restauraram a demarcação entre escravo e soldado, obscurecida de forma inaceitável durante a guerra.

Cada coisa em seu lugar: ensaio de interpretação do discurso de um museu de história

O Museu Histórico Nacional, situado no Rio de Janeiro, foi criado em 1922, como parte das comemorações do Centenário da Independência do Brasil. Ao longo dos seguintes 38 anos, foi dirigido por Gustavo Barroso. Este intelectual, figura bastante típica da “república das letras” brasileira, imprimiu no MHN uma forte marca pessoal, cristalizada no discurso conservador expresso pelas exposições. Baseado nas formulações teóricas de Carlo Ginzburg, conforme apresentadas em um artigo intitulado “Sinais - raízes de um paradigma indiciário”, bem como em diversos textos que abordam museus como discursos, o autor analisa a exposição do MHN nos anos 30, 40 e 50. Apoiando-se também na produção científica dos conservadores, publicada em livros e na revista institucional, os “Anais do Museu Histórico Nacional”, procura ver o circuito como representação das posições ocupadas pelos “agentes ativos da história” - aristocracia, funcionários públicos civis e militares, dentre outras categorias - em relação a uma categoria não claramente definida, o “povo”, que foi representada através da ausência.

Independence or Death! British Sailors and Brazilian Independence, 1822-1825

The politics of independence the birth of a navy General Brant in London preparations in Rio the blockade of Bahia the pursuit Cochrane in Maranhao Grenfell in Para victory politics and prize money the gathering storm Taylor blockades Pernambuco the confederation of the equator Cochrane sails north the parting of the ways recognition and after epilogue.

An Account of the Portuguese African Empire, 1885–1975

From the independence of Brazil in 1822 down to the independence of the African colonies in 1975, successive Portuguese governments became engaged in maintaining, enlarging, developing and, ultimately, in defending an empire in Africa. The literature on the Portuguese African empire is largely concerned with discussing the economic and political motives behind imperial policy1. Thus, the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the empire for the metropolitan economy —or, for that matter, the colonial economies— has not received much attention. This paper attempts to provide some of the evidence necessary to conduct such an evaluation2.

Central Bank Independence: Theory and a Brazilian Application

This paper aims at studying the relevance of the Central Bank of Brazil's independence for the efficiency of the stabilization policy in this country. Initially, it presents and discusses the main theoretical results concerning the central banks'independence. The normative theory emphasizes that it is efficient to appoint conservative individuals to high offices in independent central banks. The positive theory shows that the degree of independence is negatively correlated with the mean inflation, the inflation variability and the inflationary uncertainty, but is positively correlated with the credibility of monetary policy. Applications for the Brazilian experience discuss the importance of the Central Bank of Brazil's independence for the efficiency of the stabilization policy, focusing on the periods of high inflation (1980/1993) and moderate inflation (1994/...). Indicators for the degree of independence are also established and signal a substantial increase of the independence after the Real Plan.

Cavalcantis e cavalgados: a formação das alianças políticas em Pernambuco, 1817-1824

Este trabalho discute o processo de Independência do Brasil na província de Pernambuco, onde federalistas e centralistas disputavam o poder, resultando na vitória da facção centralista.

Independence or Death! British Sailors and Brazilian Independence, 1822–1825

Independence or Death! British Sailors and Brazilian Independence, 1822–1825

Independence or death!: British sailors and Brazilian independence, 1822-25

Independence or death!: British sailors and Brazilian independence, 1822-25

The Independence of Brazil

The Independence of Brazil

Roderick Cavaliero, The Independence of Brazil (London and New York: British Academic Press), 1993, pp. viii + 231.

Roderick Cavaliero, The Independence of Brazil (London and New York: British Academic Press), 1993, pp. viii + 231.

The independence of Brazil

The independence of Brazil

Upright Citizens in Criminal Records: Investigations in Cachoeira and Geremoabo, Brazil, 1780-1836

Criminal justice records provide the historian with a wealth of data on social deviance, and on the role of the judiciary in defining and controlling it. They can as well comment on the most invisible group for the social historian: the “innocent bystanders,” the respectable folk who distinguish themselves neither by their power and influence nor by their deviance. This essay illustrates the value of one kind of judicial data, local criminal investigations in Brazil, to provide information on the working citizens of a community. Changes in the characteristics of that population may be indicative of wider social stress in the Brazilian Independence period.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews