The crisis of 1929 and two elites: Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro during the Great Depression

Abstract

This article discusses the impact and the reactions of the elites in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in the context of the New York Stock Exchange crash (October, 1929).  Concluding, we state that the traditional social habits among the elite in Rio de Janeiro are preserved due to their urban ties, in contrast with the symptoms of social disruption noticed in the behavior of the elite in Sao Paulo.