The dimensions of the subordinate government of the island of Santa Catarina (1738-1821)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to understand the formation of the colonial unit of the island of Santa Catarina (later expanded to the mainland) in 1738, when a government subordinated to the captaincy of Rio de Janeiro was established. This subordinate government lasted until 1821, when it became an independent province. There was also an attempt to identify the legal status and size of this establishment in the eyes of different colonial agents, based on the analysis of the political vocabulary used by the authorities in documentation from the time.