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
Email: rmccaa@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Home Page: http://www.hist.umn.edu/~rmccaa/
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