POSSIBLE ANALYSIS ONCOTTON PRODUCTION INMARANHÃO (1755-1818): relating the concept of "second slavery" with credit practices

Abstract

Abstract: From  the  middle  eighteenth  century  begins  the  extensive  cultivation  of  cotton.  There weren’t even metropolitan investments in the port of São Luís. The Companhia Geral de Comércio do Grão-Pará  e  Maranhão (General  Companyof  Grão-Pará  e  Maranhão ́s    Commerce -1755-1788) boosted  the  cotton  production  with  the  acquisition  of  slaves  and  effective  flow  to  Europe,  taking advantage  of  American  Civil  War  crisis  and  the  absence  of  monopoly.  This  Company  was  closed, however, the cultivation of cotton continued to grow. Being aware that at this same time there was an industrial  demand  for  cotton,  we  ask,  mainly:  a)  which  social actors  were  involved  in Maranhão?  b)what happened that the cotton has been changed from inner currency to commodity? c) what kind of connection between the “second slavery” concept and the cotton enterprise can be done? d) What was the  relevance  of  the  credit  to  guarantee  this  production?  In  order  to  answer  these  questions  we  will analyze Gaioso’s book and other documents.

Keywords: Slavery. Cotton. Maranhão.