Uma investigação geo-histórica sobre a ocupação do Sertão de Leste nas Minas Gerais do século XIX

Abstract

There are many studies in the literature about the center-mining in the eighteenth century, but the other regions of the state and the other centuries than that of the gold cycle have not been so well investigated. The studies about Minas Gerais territory in the nineteenth century are largely dimension directed to other regions than not East. In the case Central Regions, South and Mata, where the population and economic dynamics that arrived earlier than East state. O Sertão de Leste de Minas Gerais was one of the last if not the last region to be occupied that province, keeping inhabited by royals determinations until the year 1808. Ever since begins the effective clearing and occupation of East State, through several stages (First Empire, Regencies, Second Empire and early Republic). In this way, this dissertation analyzes the peculiarities of such occupation during this time period. The guiding objective of the dissertation is: understand the motives that transformed the Sertão de Leste in territory, which implies studying political decisions (in the central and local levels) for the clearing and occupation of the Sertão de Leste and the spatial organization of economic activities and population there installed during nineteenth century. Were considered the physical features, barriers and potentials; the relationship with the indigenous people, the plans and actions of local characters, metropolitan or national authorities (depending on the period) and changes originated caused by territorial alterity of the relation between the scales of wide and local order, that were occurring throughout the works of exploring the Sertão de Leste and to the extent that the occupation was consolidating, transforming the Sertão in the territory itself. There was still trying to understand what were the changes in the political sphere center and plans for the East portion of Minas Gerais and how they influenced local actions - but also giving attention to the influences caused by the higher scales by practicing relation with the local scale. Were used as theoretical reference Geo-historical precepts, whereby studies that investigate the history of a region should not neglect the spatial peculiarities and neither relations between space and the human groups that install or use these studies for to get economic advantages. So there was an inspiration of the Annales School and Braudelianos studies to the extent that these searching for the relation between men, time and space, in addition to searching for further sources and methods not only found in historical science, but also in other sciences - geography deserves mention. To account for of this study primary documents, maps and reports of the time were used, associating it to the most recent bibliography compiled on that portion of the Minas Gerais State. As well we attempted to complete part of the gap not only about socioeconomic and demographic, but also spatial history of Minas Gerais, giving attention to the East portion of the territory during the nineteenth century.