Curiosidades históricas: o que você não sabe da história do Brasil?

Historical curiosities: what don't you know about the history of Brazil?

The history of Brazil is extensive and has been studied for years in schools across the country, but some details and curiosities go unnoticed, while others are portrayed in an omitted or erroneous manner.

The American continent stands out for its cultural diversity, despite being one of the last regions explored, South America , and especially Brazil, holds some secrets about its history.

Who really “discovered” Brazil?

The discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese is a story that has been told for years, however, there are those who say that this is not exactly how it happened. The main version that disputes the classic discovery of Pedro Álvares Cabral has the indigenous people as the protagonists.

After all, how can you discover a place that had already been discovered, with an established and socially organized population? This is what happened in Brazil. The fact that indigenous people inhabited Brazil years before its “discovery” is completely ignored in the books, all to follow the narrative that the Portuguese discovered the country.

In addition to this fact, it is worth emphasizing that it was not a discovery solely because the country was already inhabited, however, as the correct term is invaded, yes, Brazil was invaded and not discovered by the Portuguese, who arrived on Brazilian lands and violently occupied them, altering the local society and its customs.

Pedro Álvares Cabral was not the first to discover Brazil, much less the second, it turns out that, in 1498, the military navigator Duarte Pacheco Pereira, found Brazil.

More precisely, the region between Maranhão and Pará, in a secret expedition that aimed to recognize the areas located beyond the Tordesillas marker.

In January 1500, even before Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived in Brazil, the Spanish explorer Vicente Pinzón discovered the coast of Pernambuco, just 3 months later, Cabral “discovered” Brazil, arriving in Porto Seguro — Bahia.

Freemasonry in the Brazilian Independence Process

To this day, Freemasonry is a source of curiosity; few know about its involvement in the history of Brazil, mainly because Freemasons are very reserved, but Brazil's independence would not have happened without its interference.

In 1822, at the height of Brazilian reactions to the claims of the Portuguese courts, the Masonic organization Grande Oriente Brasílico was created, and shortly afterwards, Dom Pedro I was initiated.

Among its members were also José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, Joaquim Gonçalves Ledo and José Clemente Pereira, the great influencers for Dom Pedro I to adopt the cause of Brazilian independence that was already circulating among the members of the organization.

The names of Brazil

Many countries have been called by names that do not exist today, as was the case with Brazil, which initially, before the Portuguese invasion, was called Pindorama, a name given by the indigenous people in their language.

With the arrival of the Portuguese, many of their customs were imposed on the original Brazilian people, such as the architecture still visible today in the historic centers , in addition to Portuguese, some clothing and religion, which transformed Pindorama into Ilha de Vera Cruz.

However, this name did not remain for long, despite being named Ilha de Vera Cruz in 1500, the same year of its “discovery”, the current Brazil began to be called Terra Nova and then Terra dos Papagaios in 1501.

Later it was called Terra de Vera Cruz in 1503 and Terra de Santa Cruz in 1505, and in 1505 it was renamed Terra Santa Cruz do Brasil and then Terra do Brasil. It was only in 1527 that Brazil began to have this name, which still underwent some changes with the passing of the political regimes adopted.

In 1530 its name was Colony of Brazil of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1808 with the arrival of the court of King Dom João VI, its name became United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves, which was made official in 1815.

With the change to empire, in 1822 the country received the name of Empire of Brazil, in 1889, again with the change of political regime, the country became known as United States of Brazil.

Only in 1967, with the drafting of the constitution during the Military Dictatorship, the country was named the Federative Republic of Brazil, and remains so to this day.

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