Planta-me no pó e não tenhas de mim dó: agricultura no Grão-Pará setecentista (1730- 1822)

Abstract

The eighteenth century is an important moment for agriculture in Grão-Pará, through various documentary sources, we could highlight the process of occupation of the Tocantins river gutter, a region that could be understood as the first densely populated agricultural circle under the dominion of Belém, an influence observable by the territorial organization and the rearrangement of the family units in relatively autonomous structures of production and consumption, as part of the agrarian project, which was characterized by the introduction of new productive techniques, incorporation of new lands to agriculture followed by new genera and cultivation methods. The agrarian project reflected on the various subjects that made up the rural world of Paraense throughout the 7th Century, mainly in the Tocantins River valley region due to the proximity of Belém. In this region, we observe colonist migration, miscegenation, and the dispersal process as factors that contributed to generate families with endogenous preconditions to live and produce without difficulties in the Amazonian environment, reproducing only by the work of its members. In this sense, this dispersed population will seize the possible spaces and develop agro-extractive activities. What we need to understand clearly is that colonial agriculture balances within a diverse range of influences that determine its conditions and characteristics, as well as perceive the multiple composition of the rural world. In this sense, this paper seeks to emphasize the participation of this dispersed population, contributing to an understanding of the complexity of colonial society organization and dynamism in the region of the Tocantins River Valley.