From Conquest to Colony

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The book explores the transformation of governance in Portugal and Brazil following the discovery of gold in Brazil's hinterland. It analyzes how the Portuguese crown defined Brazil as a colony to enhance imperial power, emphasizing the need for new administrative strategies to manage the wealth extraction. Through archival records and contemporary print culture, it highlights the complex social dynamics involving Indigenous peoples, Africans, and Europeans, and the regulation of social relations based on legal status and wealth to align Brazil's economy with Portuguese interests.