Ph.D. in History (University of Chicago, 1985), currently teaches Social Anthropology at UNICAMP in Brazil. Specialist in colonial history, with a particular focus on indigenous peoples in the Lusophone world. Major publications include the book Negros da Terra (Companhia das Letras, 1994) as well as chapters in the Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas and Cambridge Economic History of Latin America. Contributor to the Oxford Bibliographies Online (Atlantic History), with articles on The Portuguese Atlantic World and on Brazil. Editor of the webpage Os Índios na História do Brasil (contents in Portuguese). Current research focuses on mixed marriages and intercultural alliances in Portuguese America, Africa, and Asia.
This chapter provides a broad overview of the indigenous presence and participation in the histor... more This chapter provides a broad overview of the indigenous presence and participation in the history of São Paulo, from the eve of conquest to the late twentieth century. The main objective is to show that the experience of indigenous peoples punctuates two of the most important aspects in the historical formation of the city of São Paulo: diversity and inequality.
Este capítulo proporciona uma síntese da presença e participação indígena na história de São Paulo, das vésperas da conquista até o final do século XX. O principal objetivo é mostrar a maneira pela qual a experiência indígena sublinha dois dos aspectos mais importantes da formação histórica da cidade São Paulo, a saber a diversidade e a desigualdade.
This article examines the works of two writers who studied the indigenous communities of colonial... more This article examines the works of two writers who studied the indigenous communities of colonial São Paulo: José Arouche de Toledo Rendon and Joaquim José Machado de Oliveira. I argue that the construction of a regional history and identity was intrinsically linked to the formulation of an Indian policy during the first half of the nineteenth century.
Based on unpublished sources, this article discusses the disintegration of indigenous slavery in ... more Based on unpublished sources, this article discusses the disintegration of indigenous slavery in colonial São Paulo, emphasizing the active role of Indians in confronting their masters through legal action. In Portuguese.
Introduction presenting the articles assembled in a special section of the Revista de História, c... more Introduction presenting the articles assembled in a special section of the Revista de História, covering issues of indigenous history in the Americas (in Portuguese).
This encyclopedia article covers the problem of conquest in early Brazilian history, showing an i... more This encyclopedia article covers the problem of conquest in early Brazilian history, showing an inconsistency between a tradition of conquest narratives and the conventional argument in modern historiography, which prefers to characterize early processes under the heading "discovery and colonization". Shifting to the perspective of indigenous history, conquest becomes a meaningful issue in Brazilian history from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.
In 1710, a powerful landowner and his indigenous subordinates stormed the salt supplies held by t... more In 1710, a powerful landowner and his indigenous subordinates stormed the salt supplies held by the monopoly contractor in Santos and redistributed the product among consumers on the Paulista Plateau. Based on an unpublished criminal investigation, this article examines the event and its repercussions, with a particular focus on contrasting views of authority and justice that coexisted in early eighteenth-century Portuguese America (article in Portuguese).
Criticizing both celebratory and anti-commemorative approaches to the quincentennial of Brazil's ... more Criticizing both celebratory and anti-commemorative approaches to the quincentennial of Brazil's "discovery", this article contends that indigenous history has as much to do with the strategies and actions of native peoples as it does with the kinds of representations and expectations developed by colonial interests.
This article discusses the problem of indigenous history in Brazil, focusing on Gabriel Soares de... more This article discusses the problem of indigenous history in Brazil, focusing on Gabriel Soares de Sousa's description of the indigenous peoples of coastal Brazil in two different contexts: when he wrote his treatise (1580s) and when historian Francisco Adolfo Varnhagen published Sousa's account (mid-19th century).
This chapter provides a broad overview of the indigenous presence and participation in the histor... more This chapter provides a broad overview of the indigenous presence and participation in the history of São Paulo, from the eve of conquest to the late twentieth century. The main objective is to show that the experience of indigenous peoples punctuates two of the most important aspects in the historical formation of the city of São Paulo: diversity and inequality.
Este capítulo proporciona uma síntese da presença e participação indígena na história de São Paulo, das vésperas da conquista até o final do século XX. O principal objetivo é mostrar a maneira pela qual a experiência indígena sublinha dois dos aspectos mais importantes da formação histórica da cidade São Paulo, a saber a diversidade e a desigualdade.
This article examines the works of two writers who studied the indigenous communities of colonial... more This article examines the works of two writers who studied the indigenous communities of colonial São Paulo: José Arouche de Toledo Rendon and Joaquim José Machado de Oliveira. I argue that the construction of a regional history and identity was intrinsically linked to the formulation of an Indian policy during the first half of the nineteenth century.
Based on unpublished sources, this article discusses the disintegration of indigenous slavery in ... more Based on unpublished sources, this article discusses the disintegration of indigenous slavery in colonial São Paulo, emphasizing the active role of Indians in confronting their masters through legal action. In Portuguese.
Introduction presenting the articles assembled in a special section of the Revista de História, c... more Introduction presenting the articles assembled in a special section of the Revista de História, covering issues of indigenous history in the Americas (in Portuguese).
This encyclopedia article covers the problem of conquest in early Brazilian history, showing an i... more This encyclopedia article covers the problem of conquest in early Brazilian history, showing an inconsistency between a tradition of conquest narratives and the conventional argument in modern historiography, which prefers to characterize early processes under the heading "discovery and colonization". Shifting to the perspective of indigenous history, conquest becomes a meaningful issue in Brazilian history from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.
In 1710, a powerful landowner and his indigenous subordinates stormed the salt supplies held by t... more In 1710, a powerful landowner and his indigenous subordinates stormed the salt supplies held by the monopoly contractor in Santos and redistributed the product among consumers on the Paulista Plateau. Based on an unpublished criminal investigation, this article examines the event and its repercussions, with a particular focus on contrasting views of authority and justice that coexisted in early eighteenth-century Portuguese America (article in Portuguese).
Criticizing both celebratory and anti-commemorative approaches to the quincentennial of Brazil's ... more Criticizing both celebratory and anti-commemorative approaches to the quincentennial of Brazil's "discovery", this article contends that indigenous history has as much to do with the strategies and actions of native peoples as it does with the kinds of representations and expectations developed by colonial interests.
This article discusses the problem of indigenous history in Brazil, focusing on Gabriel Soares de... more This article discusses the problem of indigenous history in Brazil, focusing on Gabriel Soares de Sousa's description of the indigenous peoples of coastal Brazil in two different contexts: when he wrote his treatise (1580s) and when historian Francisco Adolfo Varnhagen published Sousa's account (mid-19th century).
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Papers by John M. Monteiro
Este capítulo proporciona uma síntese da presença e participação indígena na história de São Paulo, das vésperas da conquista até o final do século XX. O principal objetivo é mostrar a maneira pela qual a experiência indígena sublinha dois dos aspectos mais importantes da formação histórica da cidade São Paulo, a saber a diversidade e a desigualdade.
Este capítulo proporciona uma síntese da presença e participação indígena na história de São Paulo, das vésperas da conquista até o final do século XX. O principal objetivo é mostrar a maneira pela qual a experiência indígena sublinha dois dos aspectos mais importantes da formação histórica da cidade São Paulo, a saber a diversidade e a desigualdade.