Brazil History - Centuries XVI and XVII

April 22 1500 - A Portuguese expedition chiefed by Pedro Alvares Cabral, with three caravels, ten smaller ships and 1,500 men, had the first sight of land: a small mountain in the Brazilian mainland which was called Monte Pascoal (Mountain of Easter, in reference to the date). The day after, the fleet reached the continent; the first place they set afoot was what today is called Baia Cabralia (a tribute to Cabral), in the city of Porto Seguro (the name means "Safe Port" and is maintained until today), in the state of Bahia. A mass was celebrated. Estimates say that Brazil was inhabited by about 8 million indians. A ship was sent back to Portugal to report the discovery to the king; the official writter, Pero Vaz de Caminha, sent a letter with the first impressions about the land (the letter is an important Historic document, know as "A Carta de Caminha"); this first document already makes references to the fertility of the soil.
Read a short biography of Pedro Alvares Cabral

Brazilian indians were at a much less developed stage of civilization than the North and Central American indians. Read more about Brazilian indians at FUNAI (Brazilian Foundation for Indians) and more especifically this page about the History of Brazilian Indians
Click the next link to read more about Caminha, including an English version of the Pero Vaz de Caminha's letter about the Discovery of Brazil

1500-1530 Portugal was one of the richest countries of the epoch (the country had colonized much of Africa and had solid, profitable commercial relations with oriental countries), and had no intention to settle in the new found land; a few missions were sent to patrol the coast and guarantee the possession, but no cities were founded. The only product of interest was pau-brasil, a wooden tree which would eventually become the name of the country; pau-brasil was used to dye fabrics. The indians were used to work in processing the trees.

1532 In 1494, Portugal and Spain divided between them all the territories which would still be found west of Africa (the treaty was known as Treaty of Tordesillas, after the city in which it was signed); however, France didn't recognize the agreement and started to visit and occupy the Brazilian coast. In response, Portugal took the first measures to guarantee the new colony; Brazil was divided in seventeen Hereditary Capitaincies, all limited by horizontal borders, the ocean and the imaginary border agreed in the Treaty. The capitaincies were a means devised by Portugal to guarantee possession using other people's (the Capitains') resources.

1549 - Unhappy with the performance of the capitaincies (few capitaincies prospered, and the possessions were not guaranteed), Portugal establishes the First General Government; the first General Governor is Tome de Sousa.
Read more about Hereditary Capitanies

1549-1553 The tension between Portuguese and indians which was building up, exploded. Tome de Sousa made an alliance with one of the tribes, the Tupis, and declared war to all the others, which were enslaved. By this time, the Church sent jesuits over; while trying to protect the natives from slavery, the jesuits imposed their severe religious codes.

1553-1558 - Duarte da Costa, the second General Governor, introduces the culture of sugar cane, to try to consolidate the settlement. By that time, Europe made sugar of sugarbet, and the whiter and sweeter sugar from cane was highly valued.

1558-1572 - Mem de Sá, third General Governor, fights the Frenchmen, who had taken over spots in Maranhao and Rio de Janeiro.
Read more about the French presence in Brazil

1572 Because of the long distances from North to South of colony, Portugal established two administrative cities: Salvador and Rio de Janeiro.


Century XVII

1580-1640 As consequence of political arrangements and marriages, Portugal and Spain merged, and Portugal became a domain of Spain. Holland was a partner of Portugal's, and lost business after the merging; in response, Holland created the Western Indian Company, with commercial and military objectives. The Dutch invaded large portions of the Brazilian coast, building fortresses and founding cities (Recife, for example, was developed by the Dutch).
Read more about the Dutch in Brazil

1645-1654 War against the Dutch. Portuguese and indians allied and reclaimed the cities from the Dutch. Recife was conquered in the Battle of Guararapes. The Fortress of Wise Kings, in Natal, was reclaimed in 1654.

1690 - Gold was found in what today is the state of Minas Gerais.
Read more about the History of Minas Gerais.

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