CATARINIAN AFRICANITIES (1738–1822): PRESENCES, EXPERIENCES AND LEGACIES IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FORMATION OF SANTA CATARINA

Abstract

This study analyzes the presence, experiences, and legacies of Africans and people of African descent in the social and cultural formation of Santa Catarina between 1738 and 1822. It is a bibliographical and documentary study based on records from the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU). The study aims to understand the participation of African men and women, as well as their descendants, in the occupation and organization of the territory, productive activities, social networks, the defense of the captaincy, and the formation of Santa Catarina’s tangible and intangible heritage. The analysis demonstrates that the African presence was both numerically significant and structurally important to colonial society, encompassing agricultural labor, whaling stations, urban services, military structures, religious brotherhoods, and various forms of social mobility. The findings contribute to challenging narratives centered exclusively on European colonization and to recognizing the fundamental role played by Africans and people of African descent in the historical formation of Santa Catarina.