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When the first explorers reached Brazil, their main
objective was to find gold, the precious metal that was needed to
maintain the luxury of the European courts. The pioneering excursions
throughout the coast and through the interior were frustrating.
There did not seem to have ever existed anything on the land except
for the abundant nature, fertile soil, and pagan Indians. But the
explorers took little interest in these qualities of the land.
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It was only with their first contact with the Indians that the explorers discovered
that there was a precious metal hidden somewhere
in the obscure corners of Brazil. They heard many stories
of a distant land, where gold sprung forth from the riverbeds.
From the peaks of the mountains one could remove rocks of
magnificent colors, green and blue...The name of one of these
mountain ranges was Sabarabucu, but there were others, many
others.
The Portuguese Court discouraged excursions into
the interior, with the fear that they would lose control over
the treasures waiting to be discovered. But it was not possible
to prove the pure truth of the legends until much later. The
first expeditions, according to existing evidence, began already
in the 16th century. They were not carried out very well,
however, and many of the adventurers did not return to tell
what they had seen in the hostile, virgin territory. The first
mineral mines would be found only at the end of the next century.
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"Bandeira" was the name given to the big incursions throughout
the country at the time. The "bandeiras" that entered Minas initially
left from the plateau of Piratininga, in São Paulo. The excursion
led by Fernão Dias in1674 finally found Sabarabuçu,
the Eldorado. It took seven years of hard work, after which only
a few stones were actually found. But the short, one day excursions
were helpful in the discovery of a large part of the huge territory.
The places where Fernao Dias' troops rested later became the beginnings
of settlements, which played an important role in the colonization
of the state.
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Fernão Dias died in 1681 in the surrounding
area of the city of Caeté, probably from the frustration
of never having found the emeralds that he spent his life
looking for. Maybe he had thought that the gold and precious
stones could be found more to the north, further into the
interior of Brazil. But if he actually did think that, he
would have been wrong. He didn't know that he had reached
Sabarabucu and only needed to look a little further to find
the hidden treasures. His companions continued his work, however,
and between his son Garcia Rodrigues Paes and his son-in-law
Borba Gato, many roads were opened up for use in the interior.
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The Gold Sprouts a History from the Ground
| Gold Production
in Minas Gerais |
1697
1699
1705
1715
1739
1744
1754
1764 |
115 Kg
725 Kg
1,5 Ton
6,5 Ton
10 Ton
9,7 Ton
8,8 Ton
7,6 Ton |
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The gold that so many had been searching for was finally
found at the end of the 17th century. The most likely person to
have found the first gold was Antonio Rodrigues Arzao, from São
Paulo. Bartolomeu Bueno de Siqueira began, with the information
that he received, the search for metal. In 1694, around the city
of Itaverava, natural deposits of ore were found. Samples of this
gold were taken to Rio de Janeiro to be examined by the Governor,
who had jurisdiction over discoveries of this kind.
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On the 23rd of June, 1698, a "bandeira" commanded
by Antonio Dias de Oliveira arrived at the foot of a peak,
called Itacolomi. It was there that the beginnings of a great
city, Vila Rica (today Ouro Preto) was founded. Its streets
were filled with gold as well as ideas of liberty and the
city remained the capital of the province until the end of
the 19th century. In 1709, the Capitania de São Paulo
and Minas de Ouro mines were founded. When the mining process
first began, it was necessary for the gold seekers to be nomadic
workers as they moved along the edge of the rivers in search
for gold. They would drain the gold from one area and then
move on to the next. The population of the town became more
dispersed. Immigrants came from all over, anxious to become
rich in the new Eldorado. When nearly all the gold along the
rivers had been found, the prospectors began to extract the
gold from the mountains. As the mines were being built, little
settlements were founded nearby to house the workers. The
gold seemed to spring forth from every corner of the area.
Sabarabucu, Cataguas or Cataguases, Caete, do Rio das Mortes,
Itambe, Itabira, Ouro Preto, Ouro Branco, etc. This multitude
of mines gave rise to the name of the state, Minas Gerais.
The name was used starting in 1701, but its first official
usage was in the Carta Regia in 1732.
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The ambition of the immigrants led to the first large
conflict over gold: the war of the "emboabas," which involved paulistas
and other immigrants. In response, the Portuguese crown created
the Capitania das Minas in 1720 to be independent of São
Paulo. Control of extraction was passed on, keeping 20% of everything
that was produced, the so-called fifth. Agriculture and manufacturing
enterprises barely existed at this time. Subsistence farming was
necessary, however, and many owned small animals such as pigs. Other
products reached the mining areas on the backs of mules. The province
was growing rapidly, and with that growth, the need for essential
materials was also growing. Merchants from the general population
began to establish themselves and their businesses. From this, the
first consumer market in Brazil was established. Everything was
commercialized, from African slaves to imported materials from Europe.
The opening of the Caminho Novo by Garcia Rodrigues Paes, intensified
even more the exchange of goods because it connected the mining
regions to Rio de Janeiro. This was also an incentive for the move
of the colonial capital from Salvador, in Bahia, to Rio de Janeiro
in 1763.
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The intense mixing of people from such different
backgrounds, all driven by the power of gold, gave rise to
the beginning of a new society. Portuguese, paulistas, blacks,
indians, and other immigrants mixed with each other and formed
an interesting cultural mosaic. Before this, the society had
been relatively rigid, as the owners of the big sugar farms
had the power to dictate their wishes. The new and growing
mining society had democratic characteristics, however, because
the patrons were not very strict and social mobility was easier.
Even a slave could become rich and buy his freedom by panning
for gold. The combination of the urban life with mining activities
created new professions, and created the beginning of a new
middle class which included sculptors, musicians, cattle drivers,
painters, cabinet makers, tailors, wood carvers, lawyers,
poets etc. A Modern State was born in Brazil, with bureaucratic
administration, fiscal inspections, and the collection of
taxes.
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Because of this environment, an artistic and cultural
movement, the first in Brazil, was able to rise. The small towns
began to fill with new architectural works. The arts flourished,
forming a movement that looked much like the European Renaissance.
Antonio Francisco Lisboa, Aleijadinho, and Manuel da Costa Ataide
used this perfect environment to exercise their genius. The Barroco
Mineiro was impressive for its splendor, force, and dramatics. It
is an art form with strong religious fervor, and there could have
been no better place than Minas for a cultural movement such as
this to establish itself. Cover
| Talking About Minas
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