In the year 1530, the Portuguese finally began to settle in Brazilian lands. Before that, the Portuguese were limited to carrying out expeditions that protected the coast from foreign invasions. the recognition of still unknown lands and promoted the search for pau-brasil to be sold on land European countries.
Despite the profit from brazilwood, the Portuguese began to have the need to exploit some type of wealth that was more profitable. Without finding gold here, the Portuguese administration opted to start the formation of sugarcane plantations in the region of the Brazilian coast. But after all, for what reason did they decide to plant this type of agricultural genus in Brazilian lands?
The first reason is due to the fact that the Portuguese already master sugarcane planting techniques. This type of activity was carried out on the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Azores, which were also colonized by Portugal. Furthermore, sugar was a widely accepted product in Europe and offered a large profit. Finally, we must also highlight the Brazilian climate and soil as two natural factors that favored this type of activity.
The first crops appeared in coastal regions and soon developed prominently in the captaincies of São Vicente and Pernambuco. To form crops, the Portuguese used the formation of large landholdings. The use of large crops was necessary so that sugarcane profits were high and advantageous to producers and the Portuguese government.
However, the formation of these large plantations also required the availability of a large number of workers. In Portugal, it would be impossible to find all this manpower, as the country had an insufficient population to meet this need. It was then that the crops demanded the use of indigenous or African labor. In both cases, wanting to profit as much as possible, the Portuguese used the labor of these two human groups through slave labor.
In organizing the crops, the owners of the farms installed their houses in the highest regions of the land. Called the “big house”, the residence of the landlord was on the highest part for strategic reasons. By settling in these regions, they could monitor farming activities and, at the same time, anticipate a possible slave revolt.
The slaves, in turn, stayed in the so-called slave quarters. In this place they crowded together and had almost no comfort when resting after long hours of work. The service of slaves was so intense that, rarely, a slave went beyond the age of forty. In such a way, we can notice that the crops were supported by a very abusive work routine.
In some sugarcane plantations there was the sugar mill, a place where sugarcane was transformed into sugar. Not all landowners had a mill, as its maintenance and construction required a large investment. Inside the mill there were three facilities: the mill, where the sugarcane juice was extracted; the boiler, where the broth was boiled and turned into molasses; and the purging house, where the molasses turned to sugar.
During and after the colonization of Brazil, sugarcane plantation was one of the most important economic activities in the country. Despite the various moments of crisis and instability, sugar has always been of great importance in our economy. Currently, sugarcane is also used for the production of fuels and other products of great importance in our economy.
By Rainer Gonçalves Sousa
Kids School Collaborator
Graduated in History from the Federal University of Goiás - UFG
Master in History from the Federal University of Goiás - UFG