In the 1640s, the relationship between Brazilians and the Dutch was at the height of a serious crisis. The departure of Mauricio de Nassau from the WIC administration determined the adoption of a new policy in that local planters were charged for their debts and threatened with confiscation of lands. Due to this situation, the natives organized themselves in a series of attacks against the Dutch, initiating the so-called Pernambucan Insurrection.
A first attack by the Brazilians against the Dutch ended up forcing a group of flamencos to take refuge in Fort Orange, located on the island of Itamaracá. Aiming to break with the privations of the siege, the Dutch cornered there decided to organize a looting against the village of São Lourenço do Tejucopapo, located in the district of Goiana. At the time, several of the Dutch people besieged in Itamaracá suffered from diseases linked to poor diet, such as scurvy.
In theory, the invasion of Tejucopapo would not bring greater difficulties for the Dutch. After all, that locality was, for the most part, inhabited by poor women who made their living from subsistence farming. According to reports at the time, Maria Quitéria, Maria Clara, Joaquina and Maria Camarão ended up being the great leaders of that confrontation that seemed to have a certain destiny.
Against the Dutch weapons, the warriors of Tejucopapo prepared cauldrons of boiling water with pepper to hit the enemy's eyes. In addition to improvised instruments, they had the use of sticks, chopsticks, brush cutters and anything else that could surprise the enemy. Knowing in advance of the Dutch advance, they also reinforced the palisades that surrounded the village, organized ambushes and other strategies that would give them some sort of advantage.
In that conflict situation, even the religious question ended up appearing as a device for mobilizing combatants and lowering enemies. Chanted as “heretic followers of Luther,” Dutch Protestants also faced the courage of women practitioners of Catholic Christianity. However, even if moved by faith, the women involved in the first outbreak of resistance were easily beaten by Dutch soldiers and collaborators.
The second onslaught seemed to have the same result. However, the attacks with boiling water and pepper were more intense than expected. Through successful resistance, the Dutch and their allies decided to retreat before male reinforcements could embody the brave resistance of the women of Tejucopapo. Many of the survivors, frightened by the bravery of that band of women, returned to the coast leaving behind the looted supplies.
Even today, there is disagreement about how many Dutch people ended up dying in this situation of conflict against the farmers of Tejucopapo. Some say that half of the invaders were killed, while other reports lower this figure by reducing the number of Dutch troops involved. Even if an exact amount is not reached, we must mark the Tejucopapo battle as the first conflict situation led by a collective of Brazilian women.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
16th to 19th century - wars - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/a-batalha-tejucopapo.htm
