Race, State, and Armed Forces in Independence-Era Brazil: Bahia, 1790s-1840s 9781503619593

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Race, State, and Armed Forces in Independence-Era Brazil

RACE, STATE, AND ARMED FORCES IN INDEPENDENCE-ERA BRAZIL Bahia, 1790S-184os

HENDRIK KRAA Y

STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Stanford, California

Stanford University Press Stanford, California 2001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kraay, Hendrik, 1964Race, state, and armed forces in independence-era Brazil: Bahia, 1790's-184o's I Hendrik Kraay. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 978-0-8047-4248-1 HB ISBN: 978-0-8047-5101-8 Paper 1. Salvador (Brazil)-History-19th century. 2. Salvador (Brazil)-Race relations. 3. Bahia (Brazil: State)-Militia-Recruiting, enlistment, etc. 4. BlacksBrazil-Bahia (State)-History-19th century. 5. Social classes-Bahia (State)-History-19th century. 6. Civilmilitary relations-Brazil-Salvador. 7. Occupations and race. I. Title. F2651.S1357 K73 2002 3 06.2'7' 098142-dc21 Original printing 2001 Last figure below indicates year of this printing: 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 Typeset by Tech books in 10.5/12.5 Minion

CONTENTS

List of Tables, Figures, and Maps

Vll

A Note on Currency, Military Ranks, Orthography, and Names

ix

Preface

Xl

Introduction

1

1.

Salvador: Race and Class in a Colonial Brazilian City

9

2.

Army Officers: The Alliance of State and Planters

31

3·

Slaves or Soldiers? The Recruitment and Discipline of Enlisted Men

55

4·

Militia Officers: The Intersection of Race and Class

82

5·

Independence and Its Aftermath

106

6.

Officers: From Bahian to Brazilian

141

7·

Reforming the Rank and File

183

8.

From Militia to National Guard

218

Conclusion

252

Contents

Vl

Appendix: The Size and Organization of Salvador's Garrison

265

Notes

271

Bibliography

325

Index

353

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND MAPS

TABLES

1.1

2.1

3·1

4·1 4·2

Population of Salvador (in Percentages) by Race and Status, 1775-1855

18

Army Officers' Wealth and Slaveownership at Death by National and Provincial Origin, 1807-1850

51

Race of Army Enlisted Men Residing Off-Base, Penha and Sao Pedro Velho Parishes, Salvador, 1775

78

The Size of Salvador's Militia Regiments, 1791-1812

87

Militia Officer Occupations (Captains and Lieutenants), 1809-1810

4·3

91

Militia Officers' Average Wealth and Slaveownership at Death, 1803-1860

92

Declining Fortunes: The Baltazar da Silveira Family's Wealth at Death, 1807-1870

176

7·1

Racial Patterns in Recruitment, Bahia, 1825-1849

199

7·2

Birthplace of Soldiers Serving in Bahia, 1825-1854

201

7-3

Enlistment Status of Soldiers, 1829-1854

203

6.1

List of Tables, Figures, and Maps

V111

8.1

National Guard Officer Occupations, 1845

241

8.2

National Guard Commander Occupations, 1845

242

8.3

National Guard Officers' Average Wealth and Slaveownership at Death, 1845-1885

243

8-4

Occupations of National Guardsmen, 1838 and 1847

249

8.5

Race of Two National Guard Companies, 1847

250

FIGURES

4·1

The Antunes Guimaraes Family

6.1

Officers' Wealth and Slaveholding at Death, 1807-1884

169

6.2

The Vilasboas Family

173

6.3

The Baltazar da Silveira Family

175

6-4

The Coelho dos Santos Family

177

7·1

Recruitment Levels in Bahia, 1837-1850

192

A.1

Salvador's Army Garrison Size, 1798-1850

267

96

A.2 Army Units in Salvador, 1790s-185 o

268

A.3 Militia Organization in Salvador, 1790s-1831

270

MAPS

1.1

Brazil in the Early Nineteenth Century

11

1.2

The Reconcavo

12

1.3

Salvador

16

A Note on Currency, Military Ranks, Orthography, and Names

During the nineteenth century, the Brazilian currency was the mil-reis, 1,000 reis, written 1$ooo; 1,ooo mil-reis, one canto, was written tooo$ooo. The mil-reis declined considerably in value during the period covered by this book, from 72 English pence in 1808 to 28.7 pence in 1850. To compensate somewhat for this decline and to make possible comparisons of wealth among individuals whose estates were assessed at different times, I have used the exchange rate to convert currency figures in the tables and relevant discussions of officer wealth to "constant" 1822 mil-reis, when the currency was worth 49 pence.* Technically speaking, this is not a constant mil-reis, but it does make it possible to compensate partially for inflation. Most eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Luso-Brazilian army ranks can be readily translated into English equivalents, except for alferes (an infantry and cavalry rank) and segundo tenente (the equivalent rank in the artillery and engineers), which I have both translated as second lieutenant; tenente (infantry and cavalry) and primeiro tenente (artillery and engineers), both translated as first lieutenant; and furriel, third sergeant. Portuguese orthography has undergone a number of changes since the eighteenth century, and following convention, I have modernized the spelling of names in the text, retaining original orthography in the notes and bibliography. *Exchange rate data is published in Mattoso, Bahia: a cidade, 243, n. 500.

lX

X

A Note on Currency

Brazilian naming practices were maddeningly flexible. Individuals were often known by only a distinctive part of their given or last names and freely added or subtracted surnames during their lives. Thus Marshal Luiz Paulino de Oliveira Pinto da Fran