THE CARUARU FAIR IN THE 19TH CENTURY: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE INVENTORY OF RICARDO JOSÉ BEZERRA (1862)

Abstract

This study is a qualitative documentary case study that aims to analyze the economic and social configuration of the Caruaru fair during the first half and mid-nineteenth century, using as its primary source the post-mortem inventory of the merchant Ricardo José Bezerra, who died in 1862. The research is grounded in the Social History of Material Culture and in qualitative microanalysis, interpreting the inventory not merely as a list of assets, but as a social artifact that reveals commercial practices and symbolic hierarchies. Methodologically, the items were transcribed and organized into analytical categories, including hardware and tools, textiles, small goods, consumer products, and labor force (enslaved individuals). The findings indicate that the deceased merchant belonged to an intermediate stratum of the local elite, acting as a mediator between urban commerce and the rural economy. The diversity of the inventory demonstrates that the Caruaru fair functioned as a multifunctional commercial center, supplying both the basic needs of workers and the luxury consumption of wealthier segments. It is concluded that enslaved labor constituted a structural element of this urban economy, sustaining the regional commercial dynamics.