Welcome back everyone!
I hope you're all ready for a
history lesson, because it's time to learn about Brazil, and specifically Rio
Grande do Sul!
*Disclaimer: There
will be a test at the end, so you all better take notes! *
Fun Fact: The name Brazil comes from the Brazilwood trees that the Portuguese discovered here and used as a source of red dyes.
Pre-Colonial Brazil:
Before Brazil was colonized by Portugal, Spain or strangely enough, the Dutch in the North, there has been evidence of human life in Brazil since 6000 B.C.E. Many of these people were nomadic tribes that warred with each other over land and resources.
While there is evidence that
supports the existence of a larger, more organized civilization, there is very
little known about it.
There are still uncontacted
tribes that exist within the Amazon Rainforest regions. According to
reports, there are around 67 such tribes in existence.
Arrival of European
Colonists:
The start of colonization in
Brazil started with the Treaty of Tordesillas. The purpose of the
treaty was to divide the lands of the New World between the Spanish and
Portuguese monarchies. It established a line of demarcation several
hundred miles from a group of islands called Cape Verde. The terms of the treaty
(which were issued by Pope Alexander VI) were as followed:
The Spanish were
granted rights to colonize the lands to the WEST of the line
The Portuguese were
granted rights only to lands EAST of the line
What this meant is that the
only land that Portugal was allowed to colonize was a small portion of Brazil,
while the Spaniards were granted access to almost the entire continent.
In order to begin their
colonies, the Portuguese crown sent Admiral Pedro Álvares Cabral to begin establishing a
presence in Brazil. His fleet arrived to Brazil in 1500 and by 1534,
Portuguese Brazil was divided into 15 different territories administered by
governors appointed by the Crown.
As an intensely Catholic
nation, Portugal established Jesuit missions all over the territory in order to
begin converting the locals.
Due to the lack of mineral
resources in the coastal provinces, many of the original settlements focused
their economies on agriculture, with sugar becoming the main crop. This
led Brazil to be involved in the African Slave Trade, and is the source of the
Afro-Brazilian influences found in Brazil.
Colonization, Expansion and
Empires:
Once Portugal began to expand towards the West and South with hopes of establishing a bigger influence in South America, along with gold and silver, they were brought into conflict with the Spanish who were already established in the La Plata region. The two countries fought several wars over the territory, with the conflict ending when a treaty was signed by Spain and Portugal in the mid-18th century. This resulted in parts of Uruguay being ceded to Spain.
In 1788 a movement following
the ideals of the Enlightenment sought to separate certain areas of Minas
Gerais state from the Empire and establish a democratic republic. The
Inconfidencia Mineira, as the rebellion was called, was crushed, but it became
a precursor to later revolutions.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the
Royal Court of Portugal fled to Brazil and reestablished the Empire in Rio de
Janiero. After Napoleon was defeated, Prince Pedro remained in Brazil and
in 1822 declared Brazil independent from Portugal. He then established his
territory as the Empire of Brazil, and became Dom Pedro I.
The Empire collapsed in 1889
following a successful coup. After exiling the Royal family, Brazil was
proclaimed as a Republic and moved into the modern era.
Modern Times:
The early to mid-20th century in Brazil was marked by a period of instability and the dictatorship of Getulio Vargas. Vargas was able to rule from 1930 through 1954, with his rule ending after taking his own life. The Brazilian people suffered under several dictatorships until 1985, when movements to bring back civilian rule were successful.
The History and Culture of
Rio Grande do Sul:
Rio Grande do Sul is the farthest southern state in Brazil, with the capital designated as Porto Alegre (the city where I am live). It is an area that was originally inhabited by the Guarani tribe. After colonization began, it was part of the Spanish colonies that included parts of Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. It was taken over in 1680 by the Portuguese after they destroyed the Spanish missions and expelled any remnants of Spanish authority.
Rio Grande do Sul is also the
center of immigration for most of the Italian and German immigrants who settled
in Brazil during the mid to late 19th century. In the case of the German
population, there are communities in the state that actually maintain German as
their first language and even have their own dialect!
The state of Rio Grande does
Sul has historically been a center of many wars and revolts throughout its
history. The most notable is probably the Guerra dos Farrapos, also
known as the Ragamuffin War. It was an attempt by the local people of Rio
Grande do Sul to separate themselves from the Brazilian Empire and start their
own republic. The revolt was ultimately crushed in 1845, but the
sentiment has endured within the state. While there haven't been calls
for succession in Rio Grande do Sul, according to my Brazilian coworkers they
share more similarities with La Plata cultures (Uruguay and parts of Argentina)
than with Brazil.
Porto Alegre itself was founded
in 1752 as a center of settlement for people coming from the Azores, and
adopted the name Porto Alegre (or Happy Port) in 1773. It was at the
center of the Ragamuffin War and was considered one of the best cities in Brazil
for culture and industry. Today, Porto Alegre is still a center of
industry within Brazil and is the 10th largest city in the country.
I know that was a lot of
information, so thank you to all of you who made it to the end! As a
reward, I won't give you a test (plus I'm too lazy to actually make one).
Since this post took so long to
make, I will be doing a separate post regarding the visa process and my
experiences with it in the next couple days. Until next time, Tchau!
