Portuguese Empire

By: Jeffrey Phongsamran

Damiana was the granddaughter of the Caiapo Indian Chief. She later became a teacher, missionary, mediator, frontierswomen, and expedition leader.

Plateau of Goias contained gold, adventures of Portugal fought their way through rough terrain and Indians to discover it

The Caiapo were the most problematic group fighting off the Portuguese invaders.

The Caiapo eventually became passive from fierce resistance because of the penetration of cattle herders, this caused the hunting grounds of the Caiapo to diminish. They had also become reliant on the settlers iron tools and firearms.

Life in this region was a very religious one. The Portuguese believed the only way to change the “savage” Indians was through religion, they believed this even more with Damiana.

Many people were surprised at how knowledgeable Damiana was.

Damiana da Cunha: Catechist and Sertanista

Antonio de Gouveia was an Azorean priest who knew astrology and alchemy, read fortunes, foretold happenings, practiced medicine with the sometimes success of the amateur.

He roamed around the Atlantic world created by the Portuguese during the sixteenth century. During his time Portuguese Jesuits reached Brazil and Japan. Martin Luther nailed his theses to the church door of Wittenberg and Cortes brought the Aztec empire to its knee’s. Lisbon had become the “eighth marvel” of the world.

He was later picked up by the Inquisition of Lisbon on charges of superstition, divination, witchcraft, and commerce with the Devil.

He was then shipped off form brazil to languish in a Lisbon jail. He petitioned many times for release but never got it and eventually

faded from history.

Antonio de Gouveia: Adventurer and Priest

Catarina was a nun at the nunnery that had just been recently been open in Bahia Brazil.

The Bahia was the world’s leading sugar producer. This was possible through the use of African Slaves.

Women at the time were destined to either merry or join the convent, Catarina was chosen to join the Convent.

During the 18th century, Brazil was still a haven for fortune seekers and Entrepreneurs.

Catarina became wealthy through loans. Most of her money came from renting out houses.

She passed away from old age as a very wealth person, but she still had very little possessions.

In her last moments, she petitioned for the archbishop to allow her to pass her income onto her sisters and an old and faithful slave. She had not expected for the archbishop to grant it through because most of her wealth had come with out the archbishops knowledge, and it was against church regulations.

Catarina de Monte Sinay: Nun and Entrepreneur

Portugal is a European and Atlantic nation dating back from the early middle ages and became a world power during the 15th and 16th century.

They had a vast empire in South America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. They gradually lost wealth as the Dutch, English, and French began

picking up in spice and slave trading from taking over the scattered Portuguese trading post over seas.

The Portuguese empire was the first global empire in history. In addition, it was the longest lived of the modern European colonial empires.

History of Portugal

Portuguese sailors used recent developments in navigation to explore Africa in search for a source of spices, they eventually rounded the cape of good hop and reached India.

The lost of Indian trade routes to the Dutch and Southeast Asia destroyed the Portuguese monopoly.

In the 1500’s they discovered Brazil which later became one of Portugal's largest colony.

In an effort to protect settlements in South America, John III organized the colonization of Brazil through land grants.

They got into many disputes with the French, from 1565 to 1567 the governor of Brazil successfully destroyed a ten year French colony.

Eventually Brazil separated from Portugal, along with other colonies. Coupled with the ending of the personal union with Spain, Portugal

began an Imperial decline

History of Portugal

History of colonial Brazil ranges between 1500 until the 1815. Brazils main source of economy was first based on brazil wood

extraction, sugar production, and finally gold and diamond mining. The main work force of Brazil were African and Indian slaves. On April 22, 1500, a fleet navigated by Pedro Alvares Cabral landed in

Brazil and claimed the land in the name of the king. First attempts at colonization created 15 captaincies. This was a failure

so the king established a central government in the colony. The first Governor brought along the first group of Jesuits.

In 1807 Portugal was invaded by French Troops. In 1808 Brazil was to open commerce to any friendly nations. Before

they were only allowed to maintain direct commercial relations with Portugal.

During the 1815 congress of Vienna the United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil and the Algarves were created. This elevated Brazil to the status of Portugal, allowing them to become more independent.

Colonial Brazil