HIS 7A Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Padroado, Mercantilism, Dutch Brazil
Document Summary
The most important resource for mining was getting native labor. Silver and other mineral during this time were crucial. Most important crop coming out of brazil: sugar. Sugar production goes hand in hand with slavery. 1549: portugal appointed a governor general because they felt they needed to retain more control over their land. Governor general limitations: huge land mass, native population, bad communication, growth of large land holdings (particular for sugar plantation): vast amount of land led to estates and powerful land holders. Political structure: the portugal ruler could select which bishops and which clergy members resided where. Male households of these large estates considered themselves fathers, not of their families but of society as well. Why sugar production works best in large estates: the more you make, the more your profit, with the same amount of investment as little sugar production almost, low investment makes this significantly more profitable for large estates.
