The Brazilian Gold Rush was a gold rush that started in the 1690s, in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil in the Portuguese Empire. The gold rush opened up the major gold-producing area of Ouro Preto (Portuguese for black gold), then known as Vila Rica.[1] Eventually, the Brazilian Gold Rush created the world's longest gold rush period and the largest gold mines in South America.
400,000 Portuguese miners Brazilian miners British miners Other European miners 500,000 African slaves
Outcome
Created the world's longest gold rush period and the largest gold mines in South America
The rush began when bandeirantes discovered large gold deposits in the mountains of Minas Gerais.[2] The bandeirantes were adventurers who organized themselves into small groups to explore the interior of Brazil. Many bandeirantes were of mixed indigenous and European background who adopted the ways of the natives, which permitted them to survive in the interior. While the bandeirantes searched for indigenous captives, they also searched for mineral wealth, which led to the gold being discovered.
More than 400,000 Portuguese and 500,000 African slaves came to the gold region to mine. Many people abandoned the sugar plantations and towns in the northeast coast to go to the gold region. By 1725, half the population of Brazil was living in southeastern Brazil.
Officially, 800 metric tons of gold were sent to Portugal in the 18th century. Other gold circulated illegally, and still other gold remained in the colony to adorn churches and for other uses.[3]
The municipality of Ouro Preto became the most populous city of Latin America, counting on about 40 thousand people in 1730 and, decades after, 80 thousand. At that time, the population of New York was less than half of that number of inhabitants and the population of São Paulo did not surpass 8 thousand.[4]
Minas Gerais was the gold mining center of Brazil. Slave labor was generally used for the workforce.[5] The discovery of gold in the area caused a huge influx of European immigrants and the government decided to bring in bureaucrats from Portugal to control operations. They set up numerous bureaucracies, often with conflicting duties and jurisdictions. The officials generally proved unequal to the task of controlling this highly lucrative industry.[6] In 1830, the St. John d'el Rey Mining Company, controlled by the British, opened the largest gold mine in Latin America. The British brought in modern management techniques and engineering expertise. Located in Nova Lima, the mine produced ore for 125 years.[7]
In 1718 or 1719[8] gold was found on the Cuiabá River.[9] This was about 1400 km northwest of São Paulo and Ouro Preto across mostly uncolonized country. The lasting effect of the gold rush was to extend a finger of Portuguese settlement northwest from São Paulo to the current Bolivian border.
The discoverers were Pascoal Moreira Cabral Leme and Antonio Pires de Campos. Miguel Sutil found half an arroba of gold in one day near the present town of Cuiabá. The area soon had a population of 7000 including 2600 slaves and was producing 400 arrobas of gold a month. Bom Jusus de Cuiabá was founded 1727. Prices were enormous due to the long distance. In 1728, when chests of Cuiabá gold were opened In Lisbon they were found to contain lead. The culprits were never found. The deposits soon played out and by 1737 there were only 7 white men and a few slaves in Cuiabá town.
The 3500-km route to the gold fields ran 155 km overland from São Paulo to Porto Feliz, down the Tietê River and Paraná River, up the Rio Pardo, 13-km portage at Camapuã, down the Coxim and Taquari River through the Pantanal swamps, and up the Paraguay and Cuiabá. There were around 100 rapids. The route was just north of the ‘vacaria’ of cow country. The outbound journey, loaded with passengers and freight, started during high water from March to June and took from five to seven months. The return journey, loaded with gold, took a few months. The 1726 convoy had 305 canoes and over 3000 people. These convoys were called ‘monsoons’ (pt:Monções (expedições fluviais)).
In addition to rapids and mosquitoes, there were also Indians. The 1720 convoy was wiped out by unknown persons. In 1725 the Payaguá (a canoe people on the Paraguay) annihilated [10] a convoy with only two escaping. In 1728 they attacked some Bandeirantes and liberated their Paraesi captives. In 1730 they killed 400 people and captured 60 arrobas of gold. They did not understand its value. One Spaniard traded a tin plate for six pounds of gold. Some survivors of the 1730 raid walked overland to Camapuã. A 1733 convoy had only four survivors. Punitive expeditions failed until 1734 when an 842-man force destroyed a Payagua town.[11] In 1735 they killed all but four of a convoy. Attacks declined as the gold ran out and because the Payagua quarreled with their Guayacuru or Mbayá neighbors, a horse people on both sides of the Paraguay.
^C. R. Boxer, "Brazilian Gold and British Traders in the First Half of the Eighteenth Century", Hispanic American Historical Review (1969) 49#3 pp. 454-472 in JSTOR
^"Ouro Preto." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 27 Apr. 2009
^. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
^. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
^Kathleen J. Higgins, Licentious Liberty in a Brazilian Gold-Mining Region: Slavery, Gender & Social Control in Eighteenth-Century Sabara, Minas Gerais (1999)
^A. J. R. Russell-Wood, "Local Government in Portuguese America. A Study of Cultural Divergence," Comparative Studies in Society & History (1974) 16#2 pp 187-231.
^Marshall C. Eakin, British Enterprise in Brazil: The St. John d'el Rey Mining Company & the Morro Velho Gold Mine, 1830-1960 (1990)
^C.R. Boxer, The Golden Age of Brazil, 1965, pp 254-269, John Hemming, Red Gold,1995, pp 393-415
^Boxer, p265 has a 600-man convoy, Hemming, p403 says 200.
^Hemming, p408, has 600 killed and 240 enslaved. Boxer has around 1000 killed or captured .
February 06, 2023
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The Brazilian Gold Rush was a gold rush that started in the 1690s in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil in the Portuguese Empire The gold rush opened up the major gold producing area of Ouro Preto Portuguese for black gold then known as Vila Rica 1 Eventually the Brazilian Gold Rush created the world s longest gold rush period and the largest gold mines in South America Brazilian Gold RushCiclo do Ouro Gold cycle painting by Rodolfo AmoedoDateLate 17th late 19th centuryLocationOuro Preto captaincy of Minas Gerais Colonial Brazil Portuguese EmpireCauseGold discovered by the bandeirantes in the mountains of Minas GeraisParticipants400 000 Portuguese minersBrazilian minersBritish minersOther European miners500 000 African slavesOutcomeCreated the world s longest gold rush period and the largest gold mines in South AmericaThe rush began when bandeirantes discovered large gold deposits in the mountains of Minas Gerais 2 The bandeirantes were adventurers who organized themselves into small groups to explore the interior of Brazil Many bandeirantes were of mixed indigenous and European background who adopted the ways of the natives which permitted them to survive in the interior While the bandeirantes searched for indigenous captives they also searched for mineral wealth which led to the gold being discovered More than 400 000 Portuguese and 500 000 African slaves came to the gold region to mine Many people abandoned the sugar plantations and towns in the northeast coast to go to the gold region By 1725 half the population of Brazil was living in southeastern Brazil Officially 800 metric tons of gold were sent to Portugal in the 18th century Other gold circulated illegally and still other gold remained in the colony to adorn churches and for other uses 3 The municipality of Ouro Preto became the most populous city of Latin America counting on about 40 thousand people in 1730 and decades after 80 thousand At that time the population of New York was less than half of that number of inhabitants and the population of Sao Paulo did not surpass 8 thousand 4 Minas Gerais was the gold mining center of Brazil Slave labor was generally used for the workforce 5 The discovery of gold in the area caused a huge influx of European immigrants and the government decided to bring in bureaucrats from Portugal to control operations They set up numerous bureaucracies often with conflicting duties and jurisdictions The officials generally proved unequal to the task of controlling this highly lucrative industry 6 In 1830 the St John d el Rey Mining Company controlled by the British opened the largest gold mine in Latin America The British brought in modern management techniques and engineering expertise Located in Nova Lima the mine produced ore for 125 years 7 Contents 1 Cuiaba gold rush 2 External links 3 See also 4 ReferencesCuiaba gold rush EditIn 1718 or 1719 8 gold was found on the Cuiaba River 9 This was about 1400 km northwest of Sao Paulo and Ouro Preto across mostly uncolonized country The lasting effect of the gold rush was to extend a finger of Portuguese settlement northwest from Sao Paulo to the current Bolivian border The discoverers were Pascoal Moreira Cabral Leme and Antonio Pires de Campos Miguel Sutil found half an arroba of gold in one day near the present town of Cuiaba The area soon had a population of 7000 including 2600 slaves and was producing 400 arrobas of gold a month Bom Jusus de Cuiaba was founded 1727 Prices were enormous due to the long distance In 1728 when chests of Cuiaba gold were opened In Lisbon they were found to contain lead The culprits were never found The deposits soon played out and by 1737 there were only 7 white men and a few slaves in Cuiaba town The 3500 km route to the gold fields ran 155 km overland from Sao Paulo to Porto Feliz down the Tiete River and Parana River up the Rio Pardo 13 km portage at Camapua down the Coxim and Taquari River through the Pantanal swamps and up the Paraguay and Cuiaba There were around 100 rapids The route was just north of the vacaria of cow country The outbound journey loaded with passengers and freight started during high water from March to June and took from five to seven months The return journey loaded with gold took a few months The 1726 convoy had 305 canoes and over 3000 people These convoys were called monsoons pt Moncoes expedicoes fluviais In addition to rapids and mosquitoes there were also Indians The 1720 convoy was wiped out by unknown persons In 1725 the Payagua a canoe people on the Paraguay annihilated 10 a convoy with only two escaping In 1728 they attacked some Bandeirantes and liberated their Paraesi captives In 1730 they killed 400 people and captured 60 arrobas of gold They did not understand its value One Spaniard traded a tin plate for six pounds of gold Some survivors of the 1730 raid walked overland to Camapua A 1733 convoy had only four survivors Punitive expeditions failed until 1734 when an 842 man force destroyed a Payagua town 11 In 1735 they killed all but four of a convoy Attacks declined as the gold ran out and because the Payagua quarreled with their Guayacuru or Mbaya neighbors a horse people on both sides of the Paraguay External links EditErario Mineral author Luis Gomes FerreiraSee also EditBrazilian Gold Estrada Real Gold mining in Brazil Chilean silver rush Tierra del Fuego Gold RushReferences Edit C R Boxer Brazilian Gold and British Traders in the First Half of the Eighteenth Century Hispanic American Historical Review 1969 49 3 pp 454 472 in JSTOR Ouro Preto The Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition 2008 Encyclopedia com 27 Apr 2009 Ouro Preto Ouro Preto Archived from the original on 2016 03 10 Retrieved 2016 09 15 Ouro Preto Archived from the original on 2016 03 10 Retrieved 2016 09 15 Kathleen J Higgins Licentious Liberty in a Brazilian Gold Mining Region Slavery Gender amp Social Control in Eighteenth Century Sabara Minas Gerais 1999 A J R Russell Wood Local Government in Portuguese America A Study of Cultural Divergence Comparative Studies in Society amp History 1974 16 2 pp 187 231 Marshall C Eakin British Enterprise in Brazil The St John d el Rey Mining Company amp the Morro Velho Gold Mine 1830 1960 1990 1718 Boxer p 254 1719 Hemming p392 C R Boxer The Golden Age of Brazil 1965 pp 254 269 John Hemming Red Gold 1995 pp 393 415 Boxer p265 has a 600 man convoy Hemming p403 says 200 Hemming p408 has 600 killed and 240 enslaved Boxer has around 1000 killed or captured Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brazilian Gold Rush amp oldid 1118935666, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
