A Constituição de riqueza na freguesia de São José de Piranhas - Província da Paraíba do Norte -1950 a 19870.

Abstract

This work is a result of a research in Especialization course in "Teoria e Metodologia do Ensino da Historia". Its theme is "The making of richness of the population of Sao Jose de Piranhas County", in Paraiba do Norte. This research used primary and seconcodary sources from 1850 a 1870. It tries to show in a clear way the process of occupation of the land by Portugal in Brazil, starting from the coast by planting sugarcane, and later, its expansion to the countryside which was extremely important in the expansion of territory in Brazil. This process is cited in five (5) movements by Capistrano de Abreu, who declared that two factors were necessary in the process of ocupation of the Brazilian coutryside: the land and the cattle. The first one is the object of study of this research which tries through inventory to show its economic importance over, for exemple, cattle which could not have expanded had not great investiments been made in big farms all over the countryside. It is this expansion that the process of exploration of the "sertao" in Paraiba occurs with Teodosio de Oliveira Ledo who occupies the "Pianco", the place where farmers used to leave through both rivers "Pianco" and "Piranhas". Francisco Xavier de Miranda buys a cattle farm, opening opportunity for many who seeing his success, started to enlarge their economic interest buying farms in the region. These investiments were important since many "rich" farms contributed to their personal growth and that of the region. This has been proved through inventory which show the growing value that each property gets; it is important to mention that these farmers through their successful investiment became known as "Major", like Manuel Joao de Miranda. Doubtless, this title besides facilitating contact with buyers, and it gave him respect. These buyers became spokesperson of this growth, since farmers of Souza decided to invest in that region. It is the process of exploration that starts the history of that country.

This work becomes important because it gives condition to the reader to compare it with data already known, so he/she can make a parallel between the traditional history and the critical one. This resource contributes in a significant way in order to "new" productions give opportunity to the reader select what has been produced about the history of our county. This work has the objective of stimulating "new" researchers to look for sources that can help them to write about their own history. Due to that, it is not the only work in this genre and it can been enlarged by questions made in exhibitions in the country schools.