1. Portuguese Empire
in the Americas
Brooke Soto
History 140

2. • Born in Tereira
• Azorean Priest of Lisbon in 16th Century
• Knowledgeable in astrology, alchemy, & practicing medicine
• Seen as a renaissance adventurer & a carefree rascal
• Arrested on charges of divination, commerce with the devil, & witchcraft
• In & out of jail multiple times
• “Lived and inconsistent and adventurous life”

3. Catarina de Monte Sinay
Brazil
Brazil
• Symbolically dedicated her life to being a “bride of Christ”
• Member of the Destêrro Convent
• Raised to be a nun along with her three sisters
• Didn’t look at negative burdens of drought and depression in Bahia
• Focused on her own expectations of prayer, sewing, and preparing goods
• Lived a wealthy life when she started to create and sell sweets
• Very generous in loaning money
• Lived a rich & full existence

4. Francisca
Brazil
Brazil
• Lived in 18th Century, in Amazonia
• Petitioned for her freedom and was denied
• Was later captured by the Manoa people
• Served in Anna de Fonte’s house for 20 years
• Finally, she appeared at a hearing, she was awarded
her freedom

5. Trade in Colonial Brazil
• 1500-1815
• Economy was based on Brazilwood extraction, sugar-
cane production, and gold and diamond mining
• “Sugar-cane cycle” = period of sugar-based economy
• Portuguese restricted trade, Brazil only allowed
imports/exports from Portuguese colonies
• Imports: wine, olive oil, textiles
• Exports: sugar, tobacco, cotton

6. History of Portugal
• Europe’s “Age of Discovery” build up empire including possessions in
South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia
• Military Decline through two disastrous battles: Battle of Alcácer Quipir
in Morocco (1578) and the attempt to conquer England (1588)
• 1755 Earthquake further weakened country
• After deposition of monarchy in 1974, a new government instituted
democratic reforms and granted independence of all European colonies
the next year
• Portugal are members of: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Org.), OECD
(Org. Economic Cooperation & Development), & EFTA (European Free
Trade Association)

7. Portuguese Empire
• The longest lived modern colonial empires
• Lasting almost 6 centuries
• Sailors began exploring coast of Africa in 1419 which influenced
developments in nagivation, cartography, and maritime technology
• The long and bloody anti-colonialist war ended in 1974 with the overthrow
of the regime
• This marked the end of the Portuguese empire