Britain and the Onset of Modernization in Brazil 1850–1914 (Cambridge Latin American Studies, Series Number 4)

This is a detailed study of British influence in Brazil as a theme within the larger story of modernization. The British were involved at key points in the initial stages of modernization. Their hold upon the importexport economy tended to slow down industrialization, and there were other areas in which their presence acted as a brake upon Brazilian modernization. But the British also fostered change. British railways provided primary stimulus to the growth of coffee exports, and since the British did not monopolize coffee production, a large proportion of the profits remained in Brazilian hands for other uses. Furthermore, the burgeoning coffee economy shattered traditional economic, social and political relationships, opening up the way for other areas of growth. The British role was not confined to economic development. They also contributed to the growth of 'a modern world-view'. Spencerianism and the idea of progress, for instance, were not exotic and meaningless imports, but an integral part of the transformation Brazil was experiencing. Frontmatter Preface (page page xi) Abbreviations used in the footnotes (page xv) A note on spelling (page xv) Introduction: Contrasting Societies: Britain and Brazil (page 1) 1 The Onset of Modernization in Brazil (page 23) 2 Coffee and Rails (page 51) 3 The Export-Import Complex (page 73) 4 The Urban Style (page 112) 5 Britain and the Industrialization of Brazil (page 125) 6 Changing Patterns of Labor: Slave Trade and Slavery (page 160) 7 Britain and the Entrepeneurs (page 187) 8 Freedom and Association (page 216) 9 Progress and Spencer (page 232) 10 Middle-Class Britain and the Brazilian Liberals (page 252) 11 Individual Salvation (page 277) 12 Declining Influence (page 298) Conclusion (page 319) Appendix A Financial Record of the Minas and Rio Railway Company, Ltd, 1881-1902 (page 325) Appendix B Financial Record of the São Paulo Railway Company, Ltd, 1865-1920 (page 326) Appendix C Exports from Great Britain to Brazil 1850-1909 (page 330) List of Sources (page 333) Index (page 367) "This is a detailed study of British influence in Brazil as a theme withing the larger story of modernization." -- Dust jacket