O papel dos tutores na educação e na inserção social de órfãos no termo de Mariana (1790 - 1822)

Abstract

In Portuguese America, the Philippine Ordinances, code of laws applied both in Portugal and in its colonies, delegated powers and responsibilities to the parents on the children until they were 25 years old, got married or emancipated for some other reason. The children and the young were only considered orphans when in the absence of a father figure. In this case, the Philippine Ordinances would nominate a choice of tutors, to be responsible for taking care and managing the properties belonging to the orphan. Tutors chosen to take care of these orphans had obligations and were supposed to be accountable to justice for the services performed. It was the tutor's job to keep the inventory of all the deceased's estate, to care for the food, health and clothing and provide some sort of education to their wards. While investigating the education of the orphans during the wardship period, in the region of Minas, I found out that tutors would often go beyond what was required by law, led by a number of reasons and interests, and although the Philippine Ordinances recommended that orphans should receive a preparation compatible with their original social status and related to a craft that was similar to his parents. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the role and importance that tutors had in the education and social inclusion of their wards in Mariana, region belonging to the district of Vila Rica (Captaincy of Minas Gerais), in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The goal is to analyze if the education directed at the orphans was an educational strategy, a will or influence of the tutor, or was merely related to social, economic and birth status of the orphans. For this, I intend to answer the following questions: who were the tutors and what role they played in the education received by orphans; what was the social status of the orphans in the region of Minas; what were the elements that influenced or determined the education received by orphans; what was the kinship or how close was the relationship between tutors and orphans; what effects the care and administration of these tutors had in the education of their wards; what were the expenses on education that they considered relevant. I will even analyze if these expenses became an element of social distinction or a means of living for these orphans during the wardship period or after reaching full age.