The History Of Brazil

As a nation, Brazil has a long and eventful history, involving both its post-colonial status as an ex-member of the Portuguese imperial regime and the long term history of its pre-colonial indigenous tribes. Borrowing from information provided by Boris Fausto, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo in his book A Concise History of Brazil, it is clear that Brazil is a country confused in its post-colonial identity. While colonialism brought massive wealth and prosperity to a nation that is rich with resources, the question of the treatment of the remaining indigenous tribes remains a deep-rooted issue for many Brazilians.

The 500th birthday of modern-era Brazil was celebrated in 2000, recognizing April 1500, the date that the first Portuguese explorer, Pedro Alvarez Cabral, first landed on Brazilian shores on the north-east coast of Bahia (Fausto). Like many post-colonial countries, Brazil’s official “birth” is only representative of the date that Europeans arrived, not taking into account the fact that many Amerindians already inhabited the vast nation. Nonetheless, following the year 1500, the Portuguese established Brazil as a major trade route and economic zone for the cross-Atlantic European trading companies, as plantations and economic enterprises began to spring up across the lands. Some of the major economic advantages found in the land’s resources were sugar and tobacco plantations, wood and gold, which was in plenty of supply especially in the 17th century (Fausto). With the growing number of plantations also brought a significant amount of slave trade from Africa, a situation which contributes to the complicated identity that has existed throughout history for Brazilian citizens. The Portuguese were able to manage...

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...razil over the centuries.

Brazil’s overall culture is one that celebrates dance, music, and diversity. The nation is notorious for being the mother of the Samba, a traditional dance that is often affiliated with all types of Brazilian music and celebration. The key aspect to Brazilian culture, at least at the level of the general population, lies in community and family ties. This is seen in particular in the lives of those living in the favellas, Brazil’s famous poorer areas often referred to as “slums” where large family households are cherished but also unavoidable due to economic circumstances. We learn from Britannica that “this traditional system of kinship ties depends on a certain degree of wealth and stability for its preservation, and it is no longer as strong as it once was, given the increased mobility and urbanization of the Brazilian people” (Momsen).