History ETDs

Publication Date

5-4-1972

Abstract

The eighteenth-century defense and expansion of southern Brazil culminated in the establishment of Portuguese settlements in both Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. As the first governor or these territories Jose da Silva País played a crucial role in these developments. Born in Lisbon to a non-nobiliary family, Silva País rose through the ranks to a position of prominence in the Portuguese empire. His technical training as a military engineer was the major reason for his initial success, and his daring and courage in the War of Spanish Succession brought him to the court's attention. The reform monarch, João V, needed such individuals and rewarded Silva País with various important posts on the peninsula. His appointment as governor of Rio de Janeiro in 1735 was the result of the Portuguese monarch's desire to strengthen American defenses. Silva País’s efforts to govern that capitania and his work on the defenses of that vital port won the admiration of his superiors. When the Spanish attacked Colônia do Sacramento in 1735, Silva País was instrumental in sending men, money, and materials to that outpost. As a result he was appointed commander of the land forces in the Portuguese expedition of 1736. Frustrated in his attempts to defeat the Spanish in the Río de la Plata, Silva País founded the first official Portuguese settlement in Rio Grande do Sul and served as the first governor of that territory. After returning to his post in Rio de Janeiro, Silva País was later appointed the first governor of Santa Catarina. He held the post for ten years. It is for his work at both Rio Grande (1737) and Santa Catarina (1739-1749) that Silva País has won the admiration of Luso-Brazilian historians. Research in eighteenth-century documents found in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul has shown that Silva País deserves this admiration. From his own dispatches as well as letters and reports from his contemporaries, the role of this intrepid soldier is revealed.

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Degree Name

History

Department Name

History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Troy Smith Floyd

Second Committee Member

Ronald Howard Dolkart

Third Committee Member

Robert William Kern

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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