This period established the economic foundation of the colony, prioritizing extraction over settlement, a pattern that would define the early centuries of Portuguese presence. The story of Brazil is fundamentally the story of Portugal’s ambitious project in the New World, a venture that would shape the continent for centuries.
Brazilwood and Portugal's Early Colonial Vision
The "Gold Cycle" transformed the colony, attracting a massive influx of fortune seekers and establishing new centers of wealth and power. The Dutch invasion of the northeast during the 17th century served as a critical catalyst, uniting the colony under a singular military and administrative purpose to defend the lucrative sugar plantations of Bahia and Pernambuco.
In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas drew an imaginary line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, granting all lands to the east of this line to Portugal. This event elevated Brazil from a colony to the center of the Portuguese Empire, granting it a status previously unimaginable.
Brazilwood Initial Colonization Goal and Portuguese Strategy
Understanding which country colonized Brazil requires a journey back to the late 15th century, when the geopolitical landscape of the Atlantic world was defined by competition and discovery. This move brought a more structured administration to the colony, focusing on the security of the territory against foreign encroachments.
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