Brazil, 1500-1630: from Portuguese contact to Dutch conquest

11/18/97


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Table of Contents

Brazil, 1500-1630: from Portuguese contact to Dutch conquest

Three themes in Brazilian history

Population of Brazil, 1500-1994 (millions--rough estimates)

Cultural types at contact: mainly bands and tribes in “Brazil”

Geographical determinism of settlement patterns: Native Americans to 1500

Principal Physical Features. Key (meters): 3000-5000 1000-3000 500-1000 200-500 sea level-200

Native settlement greatly determined by topography

Areas of Tupi-Guaraní language family, 16th century

16th Brazil, slow pace of colonization

16th century captaincy-generals did not prosper

Architectural sites from 16th century Brazil

Brazilwood, the first “boom” lasted 4 decades (1510-1550)

Portuguese struggle for Justice 1548 with arrival of 6 Jesuits

17th century architectural sites

In 1970, high population densities on the coast still reflect topography and colonial settlement patterns

Sugar: sweet for Portuguese, bitter for Indian and African slaves

Sugar-cane

Engheno: 3-wheeled sugar mill first introduced in 1610 revolutionized production

Three-wheeled sugar mill (1610) demanded much skilled, hard labor

Refining sugar was a hot, exhausting, labor-intensive job

Slave Traffic (figures in thousands): 1451-1600, beginning (1/4 million) (P.D. Curtin, The Atlantic Slave Trade)

Slave Traffic: 1601-1700. Brazil is main destination (of 1.3 million total)

“Big House” of a 17th century sugar plantation (Bahia)

End

Author: Department of History

Email: rmccaa@maroon.tc.umn.edu

Home Page: http://www.hist.umn.edu/~rmccaa/

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