History of Rio Grande do Norte
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The history of Rio Grande do Norte begins with the settlement of the Brazilian territory, when a flood of migrations of primitive people (hunter-gatherer nomads) headed to the Andes, then to the Brazilian Plateau, to the Northeast region, until they reached the place that is now Rio Grande do Norte. Throughout history, its territory suffered invasions by foreign peoples, mainly the French and the Dutch. After being subordinated to the general government of the State of Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte became subordinated to the Captaincy of Pernambuco. In 1822, when Brazil conquered its independence from the Portuguese Empire, Rio Grande do Norte would become a province and, after the fall of the monarchy and the consequent proclamation of the republic, the province became a state, with Pedro de Albuquerque Maranhão as the first governor.[1]
Initially the territory of Rio Grande do Norte began to be populated by hunter-gatherer peoples, who would later have left traces that are currently found in the archeological sites of Angicos and Mutamba II. Among the studies about archeology of the Rio Grande do Norte, most were done by the Câmara Cascudo Museum, with A. F. G. Laroche as its main researcher. According to him, the current states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte were the most important contributors to the history of the Northeast region; other research showed different results. Professor Paulo Tadeu de Souza Albuquerque, head of the archeological coordination at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, participated in excavations made around the site of the Fortress of the Three Wise Men and the old metropolitan cathedral of Natal, where the main result found was the tomb of André de Albuquerque Maranhão.[2]
The primitive peoples in Rio Grande do Norte left traces scattered throughout the territory. Some sites present incised rock inscriptions, like the one discovered in Serra Negra do Norte, at the Umburana farm. In other places, incised inscriptions followed by paintings are found, such as in the Lajedo de Soledade, in Apodi.[3] The meaning of these rock inscriptions is still debated; the most accepted one states that those inscriptions and drawings had as main purpose to convey a message, as a communication tool, using a kind of writing different from the current one.[4]
At the time of Brazil's discovery the territory was inhabited by Tupi people from Paraná and Paraguay who speak the abanheenga language, a dialect with verbal reflections, and by the Tapuias, in the interior of the state.[5] The main inhabited areas correspond today to the regions of the Seridó, Chapada do Apodi, and the highlands of Rio Grande do Norte.[6]
The place where the fleet commanded by Cabral would have landed is still a subject of controversy, and one of the scenarios defended by some researchers states that the expedition would have landed for the first time on the beach of Touros, where the coast of Rio Grande do Norte forms the 90° angle between the northern and eastern directions, which gives the state its nickname of "corner of the continent".[7][8]
Colonial period
According to historians, the first organized expedition into the territory of Rio Grande do Norte would have taken place in 1501.[9] It is not known exactly who was the commander of this expedition, which lasted 67 days; however, among several names given, the most accepted is Gaspar de Lemos. The result of this expedition was the arrival at Cape São Roque, where, according to historian Luís da Câmara Cascudo, occurred the establishment of Brazil's first landmark.[10] In the same period, the Portuguese Crown took the decision to send military personnel to carry out expeditions (called Guarda-costas) for the defense of its colony, since the Brazilian coast was being invaded by privateers, mainly from France.[11]
Among the military expeditions that took place, those commanded by the Portuguese Cristóvão Jacques (1516–1519 and 1526–1528), a native of Algarves, are considered the most important. To solve the problem of the privateers, Cristóvão suggested that the place be immediately populated, an idea approved by eminent people in Portugal.[12] Then, the king of Portugal at the time, John III, sent an expedition led by Martim Afonso de Sousa to Brazil. Besides the idea of settlement, Martim also suggested the territorial division of Brazil into Hereditary Captaincies, which had already been done in islands located in the Atlantic Ocean. This idea was also approved and implemented. In 1535, the then captaincy of Rio Grande would be donated by King John III to João de Barros. Initially, colonization failed and the French continued the smuggling of brazilwood, dominating the area until 1598.[13]
The French settled on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, but without the purpose of dominating the native population, which made them allies. Due to its strategic location, King Philip II became interested in the captaincy of Rio Grande. However, the permanence of the French in the territory was still an aggravating situation. For this reason, two Royal Letters, the first in 1596 and the second in 1597, determined the French expulsion, besides the construction of a fort and the foundation of a city, which would become Natal, on 25 December 1599.[1] There is a struggle among historians in Rio Grande do Norte to reconstitute this event, since the documents about the foundation history of the capital of the state were destroyed during the Dutch invasion.[14][5]
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One of the versions states that Natal was founded after Manuel Mascarenhas Homem appointed Jerônimo de Albuquerque as commander of the fortress, who would then go to Bahia to report on his mission.[17] Further research has proven that Mascarenhas did not appoint Jerônimo to the position of captain-major of Rio Grande and that he was not present on the date of the city's founding, and therefore cannot be considered the founder of Natal. Another accepted hypothesis states that Natal was founded by João Rodrigues Colaço, and after the foundation, a mass would have been celebrated in the place that corresponds to the current André de Albuquerque Square.[18][15]
The phase of the history of Rio Grande do Norte between the foundation of Natal and the Dutch invasion is, according to historian Tavares de Lyra, considered to be one of the most obscure phases, due to the fact that all historical archives narrating facts prior to the Dutch conquest in Brazil were destroyed during the invasion period. Furthermore, there are still doubts about who would have been the first captain-major of Rio Grande do Norte. However, it is known that the Fortress of the Three Wise Men was the first administrative headquarters of the Captaincy of Rio Grande do Norte.[17]
The Dutch, knowing the strategic importance of that military building, began to gather as much information as possible to elaborate an effective plan to conquer it. In 1625, Captain Uzel Johannes de Laet made a reconnaissance, finding a mill and a lot of cattle breeding in the territory.[19] Five years later, according to notorious historian Luís da Câmara Cascudo, Adriano Verbo came to the captaincy with the "special mission of seeing, hearing and singing". Nevertheless, the Dutch tried to take possession of this fortress. In 1631, the native Marcial surrendered to the Political Council of the Brazilian Dutch, to form alliances with the Batavians. The latter, in turn, organized an expedition, where they obtained several important pieces of information that were in the possession of the Portuguese and that would later facilitate the conquest of Ceará. These documents were with a Portuguese man named João Pereira, who was killed later.[20]
Some time later, the Dutch finally imposed their plan to conquer Rio Grande do Norte. Historian Câmara Cascudo states that "On December 21, 1631, fourteen ships set sail from Recife, with ten companies of veteran soldiers. Servaes Carpenter and Van Der Haghen, advisors to the Company, assumed the supreme direction. The troops were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hartman Godefrid Van Steyn-Gallefels. They agreed to land at Ponta Negra, three leagues south of Natal, marching on the city". However, captain-major Cipriano Pita Carneiro ordered his followers to open fire on the invaders, which led the Dutch to give up the conquest. For this reason, it is said that their first attempt to conquer resulted in failure. In fact, the conquering of the territory of Rio Grande do Norte was an extremely arduous and difficult task.[20][21]
Later, the Dutch tried again to conquer the territory, facing strong resistance from the defenders of the Fortress of the Three Wise Men. According to different versions, the Netherlands was interested in conquering Rio Grande do Norte because it was the definitive solution for the supply of beef to the Batavians. The fortress had Pero Mendes de Gouveia as its captain-major, plus a staff of only eighty men. However, the captain-major decided to abandon the dunes located near the fortress, contributing to the installation of artillery there by his enemies, making the building a target for real attacks. And that is exactly what happened: the Fortress of the Three Wise Men was destroyed and the Dutch dominance in Rio Grande do Norte was consolidated.[20]
Dutch rule generated discontent for some of the settlers, mainly due to the harsh regime that was imposed by the West India Company, especially under the administration of Maurice of Nassau. Portugal pressured the Netherlands more and more to give back its colonies, but the Dutch did not agree, which created a great deal of hostility between the two empires.[20]
In 1645, one of the most historic events in Rio Grande do Norte took place: the martyrdom of Cunhaú and Uruaçu, which occurred when the Janduí people and more than two hundred Dutchmen, commanded by Jacob Rabi, delegate of Count Maurício de Nassau, cruelly killed about seventy believers and Fathers André de Soveral and Ambrósio Francisco Ferro. At the time of the death, the faithful were attending a mass that was being celebrated in the Chapel of Our Lady of Candeias, located in the Cunhaú mill, a few kilometers from Barra do Cunhaú. At the time, this mill was the center of the local economy, still quite primitive. Only three people managed to escape the massacre.[22][23]
Since 1598, the executive power had been exercised by a captain-major, who was a chief appointed by means of a document called Carta-Patente. During the period of the invasion, this system had been extinguished and reappointed after the expulsion of the Dutch. With the exception of João Rodrigues Colaço, who had been appointed by the governor-general of Brazil at the time and confirmed in office by a later royal charter, all the other captains-major were appointed by means of this charter. Throughout history, the position received several denominations, such as Captain-Major of Rio Grande (1739) and Captain-Major of Rio Grande do Norte, to differentiate it from another captaincy located in the far south of the colony. In addition to the executive position, there was also the post of financial administrator, responsible for collecting the taxes. From 1770 on, due to the death of the acting captain-major, the position was replaced by a junta. At the time, the captaincy was formed by only one municipality: Natal. Later, others emerged, such as São José do Mipibu and Vila Flor. The judiciary, on the other hand, had an ombudsman as its highest representative, previously appointed by the captains of the captaincies and later by the king himself.[24][21]
On 11 January 1701, Rio Grande do Norte became subordinate to Pernambuco and, later, to Paraíba, and became emancipated on 18 March 1818, through a Royal Charter. The first administrator was José Inácio Borges, who was deposed in December 1821.[25] With the deposition, a junta assumed power until new elections were called. In 1822, Brazil would finally gain independence from Portuguese rule after three centuries and Rio Grande do Norte would become a province, but the news would take three months to arrive.[26]
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