The formation of the urban network as a strategy to define the boundary between the captaincies of Minas Gerais and São Paulo in the second half of the 18th century

Abstract

The municipal institutions are essential instruments in the consolidation and defense of the territories of the Portuguese Crown in Brazil. In the 18^th century, in face of the gold discoveries and occupation of the territory, the creation of towns in Minas Gerais is a strategy to affirm the Crown's power and administrative organization. When the Captaincy of São Paulo was restored in 1765, the strengthening of the Crown's power was structured by military actions and the inauguration of sugar production, which is associated with the creation of a network of villages, parishes and towns. The governors of São Paulo seek to improve structures that would guarantee the flows of people and goods in the territory, as well as consolidate territorial limits with Spain and with the confining captaincies. However, the occupation of the border areas between the captaincies of São Paulo and Minas Gerais was never consensual among the authorities, both metropolitan and colonial. A region of litigation in the18^th century, the hinterland of the Rio das Mortes was marked by São Paulo’s establishments, stimulated by the government of this captaincy, and by attempts to organize the colonial authorities of Minas Gerais. This work analyzes the conflicts, practices, and discourses involved in the process of establishing the urban network in the border region between the captaincies of Minas Gerais and São Paulo in the end of the 18^thcentury. The actions of the Crown indicate the importance of the region in the late eighteenth century. The role of civil and ecclesiastical authorities in the establishment of the urban centers in question is highlighted. The case studies elucidate regional differences in the same context and are based on the primary documentation that represents the instruments of control of the territory by the Crown: cartography and the oficial documents of the Municipal Chambers and the Governors.