Portuguese colonization of the Americas

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{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
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'''Portuguese colonization of the Americas''' ({{Langx|pt|Colonização portuguesa das Américas}}) constituted territories in the Americas belonging to the [[Kingdom of Portugal]]. Portugal was the leading country in the European exploration of the world in the 15th century. The [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] in 1494 divided the [[Earth]] outside Europe into [[Crown of Castile|Castilian]] and [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portuguese]] global territorial [[Hemispheres of Earth|hemispheres]] for exclusive conquest and [[colonization]]. Portugal colonized parts of [[South America]] ([[Brazil]], [[Colónia do Sacramento|Uruguay]]), but also made some unsuccessful attempts to colonize [[North America]] ([[Newfoundland and Labrador]] and [[Nova Scotia]] in [[Canada]]).

==Settlements in North America==
[[File:Il-171 0007 10-11 t24-C-R0150.jpg|350px|thumb|left|Portuguese North America (in present-day [[Canada]]); Vaz Dourado, {{Circa|1576}}.]]
Based on the terms defined in the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]], the [[List of Portuguese monarchs|Portuguese Crown]] claimed it had territorial rights in the area visited by the explorer [[John Cabot]] in 1497 and 1498 on behalf of the [[The Crown|Crown of England]].<ref>{{cite web|title=John Cabot's voyage of 1498|url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/cabot1498.html |publisher=Memorial University of Newfoundland (Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage)|year=2000|access-date=2010-04-12}}</ref> To that end, in 1499 and 1500, the Portuguese mariner [[João Fernandes Lavrador]] visited the northeast Atlantic coast and [[Greenland]], which accounts for the appearance of "Labrador" on topographical maps of the period.<ref name="Diffie1977">{{cite book|first=Bailey Wallys|last=Diffie|title=Foundations of the Portuguese Empire: 1415-1580|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZtMBLJ7GgC&pg=PA464|year=1977|publisher=U of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0-8166-0782-2|page=464}}</ref> Subsequently, in 1501 and 1502, the [[Corte-Real family|Corte-Real]] brothers explored and charted Greenland and what is today the Canadian province of [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], claiming these lands as part of the [[Portuguese Empire]]. Fragmentary evidence also suggests a previous expedition in 1473 by [[João Vaz Corte-Real]], their father, with other Europeans, to ''Terra Nova do Bacalhau'' (''New Land of the Codfish'') in North America.<ref name="Diffie1977"/><ref name=joao>{{cite DCB |first=L.-A. |last=Vigneras |title=Corte-Real, Miguel |volume=1 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/corte_real_miguel_1E.html |access-date=2010-04-12}}</ref> The possible voyage of 1473 and several other possible pre-Columbian expeditions to North America in the 15th century, mostly from the Azores in the case of the Portuguese (included in donation royal letters), remain matters of great controversy for scholars. Their existence is based on brief or fragmentary historical documents that are unclear concerning the destinations of voyages.

In 1506, King [[Manuel I of Portugal]] created taxes for the cod fisheries in Newfoundland waters.{{cn|date=November 2019}} [[João Álvares Fagundes]] and [[Pero de Barcelos]] established fishing outposts in Newfoundland and [[Nova Scotia]] around 1521. These were later abandoned, however, when Portuguese colonizers began to focus their efforts mainly on South America. Nonetheless, the Portuguese-founded towns of [[Portugal Cove-St. Philip's]], [[St. Peter's, Nova Scotia|St. Peter's]], [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], [[Conception Bay (Canada)|Conception Bay]] and surrounding areas of east [[Canada]] remain important as a cultural region, even today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pcsp.ca/?Content=Visiting/About_Our_Town/History|title=Town of Portugal Cove - St.Philip's|website=pcsp.ca|access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref>

==Colonization of Brazil==
[[File:Capitanias.jpg|thumb|right|In 1549, the [[Captaincy Colonies of Brazil]] were united into the [[Governorate General of Brazil]], where they were provincial [[captaincies of Brazil]]; Luís Teixeira, 1574.]]
{{main|Colonial Brazil}}
In April 1500, the [[2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)|second Portuguese India Armada]], headed by [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]], with a crew of expert captains, including Bartolomeu Dias and [[Nicolau Coelho]], encountered the Brazilian coast as it swung westward in the Atlantic while performing a large "[[volta do mar]]" to avoid becalming in the [[Gulf of Guinea]]. On 21 April 1500, a mountain was seen that was named ''[[Monte Pascoal]]'', and on 22 April, Cabral landed on the coast, in [[Porto Seguro]]. Believing the land to be an island, he named it [[Ilha de Vera Cruz]] (Island of the True Cross).<ref>N. McAlister, Lyle. (1984) ''Spain and Portugal in the New World: 1492–1700.'' p. 75.</ref> The previous expedition of [[Vasco da Gama]] to India already recorded several signs of land near its western open Atlantic Ocean route, in 1497. It has also been suggested that [[Duarte Pacheco Pereira]] may have discovered the coasts of Brazil in 1498, possible its northeast, but the exact area of the expedition and the explored regions remain unclear. On the other hand, some historians have suggested that the Portuguese may have encountered the South American bulge earlier while sailing the "volta do mar" (in the Southwest Atlantic), hence the insistence of King [[John II of Portugal|John II]] in moving the line west of the line agreed upon in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Crow |first1=John A. |title=The epic of Latin America |date=1992 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=0-520-07723-7 |page=136 |edition=4th}}</ref> From the east coast, the fleet then turned eastward to resume the journey to the southern tip of Africa and India. Landing in the New World and reaching Asia, the expedition connected four continents for the first time in history.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hBTqPX4G9Y4C&q=Cabral+four+continents&pg=PA187 |title=Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415–1580 |first1=Bailey Wallys |last1=Diffie |first2=George D.|last2=Winius |pages=187 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |date=1977|isbn=9780816607822 }}</ref>

In 1501–1502, an expedition led by [[Gonçalo Coelho]] (or [[André Gonçalves (explorer)|André Gonçalves]] and/or [[Gaspar de Lemos]]), sailed south along the coast of South America to the bay of present-day [[Rio de Janeiro]]. Among his crew was the [[Republic of Florence|Florentine]] [[Amerigo Vespucci]]. According to Vespucci, the expedition reached the latitude "South Pole elevation 52° S" in the "cold" latitudes of what is now [[Patagonia]], near the Strait of Magellan, before turning back. Vespucci wrote that they headed toward the southwest-south, following "a long, unbending coastline". This seems controversial, since he changed part of his description in the subsequent letter (stating that around 32° S, they made a shift to open sea, to south-southeast), maintaining, however, that they reached a similar 50° S latitude.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://icaadocs.mfah.org/s/en/item/839287 |url-access=subscription |title=The invention of America, an inquiry into the Historical nature of the New World and the Meaning of its History |publisher=Indiana University Press |date=1961 |pages=106–107 |first=Edmundo|last=O'Gorman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2zZCAAAAIAAJ |journal=Imago Mundi |publisher=Brill Archive |location=Leiden |editor-first=Leo |editor-last=Bagrow |volume=11 |date=1954 |title=New light on Vespucci's third voyage |first=R. |last=Levillier |pages=40–45 |doi=10.1080/03085695408592056|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Amerigo Vespucci participated as observer in four Spanish and Portuguese exploratory voyages. The expeditions became widely known in Europe after two accounts attributed to him, published between 1502 and 1504. His last two voyages to the east and southern east coasts of South America, by Portugal, especially the expedition of 1501–1502 to Brazil and beyond, and its meeting with Cabral's ships and men (who had touched the South American, African and Asian continents) on the African coast, at Bezeguiche (the bay of [[Dakar]], Senegal), listening the accounts of its sailors (then returning to Portugal), were the most decisive for his "[[New World]]" hypothesis. Vespucci suggested that the newly discovered lands (especially what is today South America/Brazil) were not the Indies but a "New World",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Arciniegas |first1=Germán |title=Amerigo and the New World : the life & times of Amerigo Vespucci |date=1978 |publisher=Octagon Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0374902803 |pages=295–300}}</ref> the ''Mundus novus'', Latin title of a contemporary document based on Vespucci letters to [[Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici]], which had become widely popular in Europe.<ref>[[#Diffie 1977|Diffie 1977]], pp. 458.</ref>

Around 1508 or 1511–1512, Portuguese captains reached and explored the [[Rio de La Plata|River Plate]] estuary in the present-day [[Uruguay]] and [[Argentina]], and went as far south as the present-day [[Gulf of San Matias]] at 42°S (recorded in the ''Newen Zeytung auss Pressilandt'' meaning "New Tidings from the Land of Brazil").<ref>{{cite book
| last = Bethell
| first = Leslie
| title = The Cambridge History of Latin America, Volume 1, Colonial Latin America
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| year = 1984
| location = Cambridge
| pages = 257
| isbn = 9780521232234
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_w0kAPYQ5xMC&q=1511}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last = Laguarda Trias
| first = Rolando A.
| title = Pilotos portugueses en el Rio de La Plata durante el siglo XVI
| publisher = UC Biblioteca Geral 1
| year = 1988
| location = Coimbra
| pages = 59–61
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N4ruiK_IJZQC&q=pilotos+portugueses+la+plata&pg=PA81}}</ref>
Some historians have attributed this voyage to Coelho and Vespucci years before, but a good part of historians and researchers, through the sparse and comparative documentation, identify the captains and the experienced pilot of the ''India run'' ("the best Pilot of Portugal" and a "best friend" of the Fugger's Agent), with Diogo Ribeiro, Estevão Frois and the pilot [[João de Lisboa]]. The explorers also reported that after going by the 40th parallel to south, along the coast, they found a "land" or "point extending into the sea", and further south, a Gulf.<ref>Newen Zeytung auss Presillg Landt (in ancient german and portuguese) [http://biblio.wdfiles.com/local--files/schuller-1915-nova/schuller_1915_nova.pdf Newen Zeytung auss Presillg Landt]</ref><ref name=Spate>{{cite book| author=Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate| title=The Spanish Lake| date=November 2004| publisher=Canberra: ANU E Press, 2004| page=37 | isbn=9781920942168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JH9SIogNd3sC&q=San+Matias}}</ref>

This and the following expeditions of [[Cristóvão Jacques]] to the River Plate and into the [[Parana River]] in 1521; and of [[Martim Afonso de Sousa]] and his brother Pero Lopes de Sousa, in 1530–1532, from the [[Amazon River]], to [[Lagoa dos Patos]] and to the rivers Plate and Paraná, reinforced and demonstrated Portuguese interest in the River Plate.

Permanent habitation in Brazil did not begin until [[São Vicente, São Paulo|São Vicente]] was founded in 1532 by Martim Afonso de Sousa, although temporary trading posts were established earlier to collect [[brazilwood]], used as a [[dye]]. São Vicente, by its ''democratic'' municipal prerogatives (in the tradition of Portuguese municipalism since the Middle Ages) and by the general elections to its first ''Câmara'' (City Council) on August 22, 1532, is symbolically considered the birthplace of [[democracy]] in the [[Americas]].

From 1534 to 1536, [[Captaincy Colonies of Brazil|15 Captaincy colonies]] were created in Portuguese America. The captaincies were autonomous, and mostly private, colonies of the [[Portuguese Empire]], each owned and run by a [[Captain-major]].

In 1549, due to their failure and limited success, the [[Captaincy Colonies of Brazil]] were united into the [[Governorate General of Brazil]]. The captaincy colonies were reorganized as provincial districts to the Governorate. The captaincies continued to be ruled by their hereditary [[captain-major]]s but they now reported to the Governor-General of Brazil. The new system was implemented so that Portuguese America could be managed correctly and provide a steady and wealthy income for the [[Portuguese Empire]]. The capital of the new governorate established its capital at [[Salvador, Brazil|São Salvador]] and the first [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] arrived the same year.

With permanent settlement came the establishment of the [[sugar cane]] [[Industry (economics)|industry]] and its intensive [[labor (economics)|labor]] demands which were met with [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native]] and later [[Africa]]n [[slavery|slave]]s.

From 1565 through 1567, [[Mem de Sá]], the third Governor General of Brazil, successfully destroyed a ten-year-old [[French colonization of the Americas|French colony]] called [[France Antarctique]], at [[Guanabara Bay]]. He and his nephew, [[Estácio de Sá]], then founded the city of [[Rio de Janeiro]] in March 1567.

In 1621, [[Philip II of Portugal]] divided the [[Governorate General of Brazil]] into two separate and autonomous colonies, the [[State of Maranhão (colonial)|State of Maranhão]] and the [[State of Brazil]]. Regarding this period it is preferable to refer to "Portuguese America" rather than "Portuguese Brazil" or "Colonial Brazil", as the states were two separate colonies, each with their own governor general and government.

[[File:Imperios Español y Portugués 1790.svg|thumb|Spanish and Portuguese empires in 1790.]]

Between 1630 and 1654, the [[Netherlands]] came to control [[Dutch Brazil|part of Brazil's Northeast region]], with their capital in [[Recife]]. The Portuguese won a significant victory in the [[Second Battle of Guararapes]] in 1649. By 1654, the Netherlands had surrendered and returned control of all Brazilian land to the Portuguese.

In 1751, the [[State of Maranhão (colonial)|State of Maranhão]] was restructured into the [[State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão]], with a new capital and government.

In 1772, the [[State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão]] was split into two new states, the [[State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro]] and the [[State of Maranhão and Piauí]]. The new states would fare poorly and only last 3 years.

In 1775, the three colonies of Portuguese America (the [[State of Brazil]], the [[State of Maranhão and Piauí]]; and the [[State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro]]) were united into a singular colony, under the [[State of Brazil]]. This arrangement would last until the end of [[Colonial Brazil]]. As a result, Brazil did not split into several countries, as happened to its Spanish-speaking neighbors.

==Caribbean merchants==

Portuguese merchants have been trading in the West Indies. To such an extent, that, for instance, for the Portuguese town of [[Póvoa de Varzim]], most of its seafarers dying abroad, most of the deaths occurred in the Route of the Antilles, in the West Indies. At the turn of the 17th century, with the union with Castile, the Spanish kings favored the free movement of the people, and other lands of the New World, such as Peru and the Gulf of Mexico, were open to the Portuguese merchants.<ref name="PVant">{{Cite book | author = Amorim, Manuel | title = A Póvoa Antiga | publisher = Na Linha do horizonte - Biblioteca Poveira CMPV | year = 2003}}</ref>

==Colonization of Uruguay==

The Portuguese founded the first Uruguayan city, [[Colónia do Sacramento]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exploringuruguay.com/cool-stuff/uruguay-facts-2/|title=Uruguay Facts — Exploring Uruguay, Expat & Travel Resource Guide|website=www.exploringuruguay.com|date=13 April 2010|access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Atlantic World]]
* [[Barbados]]
* [[Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery]]
* [[Portuguese Guyanese]]
* [[Colonial Brazil]]
* [[Portuguese Mexican|Portuguese in Mexico]]
* [[Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino]] (archives in Lisbon documenting Portuguese Empire, including the Americas)
* [[Former colonies and territories in Canada]]
* [[History of Brazil]]
* [[Jesuit Reductions]]
* [[Portugal in the period of discoveries]]
* [[João Vaz Corte-Real]]
* [[History of Portugal (1415–1578)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070212200529/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/24/h24-1320-e.html The Corte-Real explorations of North America in the official Library and Archives Canada website.]
* {{cite DCB |first=L.-A. |last=Vigneras |title=Fagundes, João Álvares |volume=1 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/fagundes_joao_alvares_1E.html}}

{{Portuguese overseas empire}}
{{Latin America topics}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portuguese Colonization Of The Americas}}
[[Category:Portuguese colonization of the Americas| ]]
[[Category:Colonial Brazil]]
[[Category:European colonization of the Americas]]
[[Category:Former Portuguese colonies| ]]
[[Category:Portuguese exploration in the Age of Discovery]]

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Portuguese colonization of the Americas