Brazil and the gold of the 18th century — History, 11–13
Why Brazil mattered so much to Portugal in the 18th century — and at what human cost. History, 11–13 years.
The colony that supported the kingdom
In the 18th century Brazil was Portugal's most important colony. Sugar came from the north-east, grown on large plantations. From the end of the 17th century gold was found in Minas Gerais and, later, diamonds. Ships loaded with gold and sugar reached Lisbon, and this wealth became the Crown's main source of income.
Who did the work
The plantations and mines needed huge numbers of workers, and this labour is what held up the wealth: millions of Africans were captured, sold and transported by force to Brazil during the colonial period, and made to work as enslaved people. The trade in enslaved people was therefore inseparable from sugar and gold — and one of the largest forced migrations in history.
A case: the path of the gold
Step 1: gold is found in Minas Gerais and thousands of people rush to the region. Step 2: the gold is extracted, mostly by enslaved people. Step 3: the Crown collects the “quinto”: one fifth of all gold belongs to the king. Step 4: the gold travels by ship to Lisbon, where the king spends it on building and buying without needing to ask anyone else for money.
The trap: counting only the wealth
It is tempting to count only the “good” side — the buildings, the gold, the trade — and leave out who paid the price. Telling the story of the wealth without the forced labour tells only half of it. And the wealth was unevenly shared: it ended up mostly with the Crown and a few merchants and nobles, and did not improve life for most of the population.
Where you can still see this today
Brazil is today the country with the most Portuguese speakers in the world, and many Portuguese and Brazilian words, foods and music share common origins — including African contributions. In Portugal, the wealth of the 18th century can be seen in the gilded woodwork of many Baroque churches, such as the Church of São Francisco in Porto, whose interior is covered in gilded carving.
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