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The history of Pernambuco begins since before discovery by the portuguese, with Indigenous populations of the Caeté and Tabajara indigenous peoples. The name has represented different entities at different times: a captaincy, a province, an independent Republic (briefly) and a state.

Name

Pernambuco was a distortion of Tupi para-nã (wide river) + mbuka (hollow or broken), referring to the coastal reefs; it came to mean the place where the Brazilwood tree (Caesalpinia echinata) was found, and by derivation its wood, now called Brazilwood. Brazilwood trees, source of a brilliant red dye, grew in abundance on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, and were the chief trading commodity of precolonial and early colonial times.

Prehistory and Antiquity

The Brazilian northeast has some of the most ancient arqueological sites of the country, which date more than 40,000 years BCE. In the region that today corresponds to Pernambuco were identified vestiges of human ocupation from around 9,000 BCE in the regions of Chã do Caboclo, in Bom Jardim, Furna do Estrago, and Brejo da Madre de Deus. In this last region an important necropolis was found, out of which 83 skeletons were recovered.^[1]^[2]

Among the indigenous groups that inhabit Pernambuco, there's Itaparica who are responsible for stone instruments from about 4000 BCE. Cave paintings dated to around 0 BCE, attributed to the Cariris people. In the time of portuguese colonization the Tabajaras and the Caetés lived in the coast, but have since become extinct. In certain parts of the state it is still possible to find indigenous groups, like the Pankararu and the Atikum.^[1]

Discovery and precolonial

At the time of discovery of Brazil, the region of the modern state of Pernambuco near the Atlantic coast was populated chiefly by Tabajara Indians.^{[citation needed]}

Years later, in 1516, Cristóvão Jacques was charged with patrolling the coast of Pernambuco against vessels of other nations. The feitoria (literally 'factory', a Portuguese trading post) of Cristóvão Jacques, erected at the entrance of the Canal de Santa Cruz, Itamaracá, aimed to establish a bond with the natives, seeking information about possible riches inland as well as repelling possible attacks by other nations on the Brazilian coast. The French under Bertrand d'Ornesan tried to establish a French trading post at Pernambuco in 1531.^[3]^[relevant?]

Colonial period: the Captaincy of Pernambuco

In 1534 King John III of Portugal granted the captaincy of Pernambuco to Portuguese nobleman Duarte Coelho Pereira. The captaincy of Pernambuco originally stretched for 60 leagues between the Igaraçu River, Pernambuco and the São Francisco River, and was called New Lusitania.

Coelho Pereira, an influential navigator and soldier, directed military actions against the French-allied Caetés Indians and, upon their defeat in 1537, established a settlement at the site of a former Marin Indian village, henceforth known as Olinda, as well as at another village Igaraçu, at the Igaraçu River. In addition, he started the cultivation of sugar-cane, which would have an important role in the economic history of the colony. Coelho Pereira took responsibility for most of the production of sugar, the so-called "white gold", in America and made New Lusitania one of the most flourishing captaincies.

During the Colonial Period for centuries the captaincy of Pernambuco was the most prominent of Brazil, due to growing of sugar-cane. The importance and influence of the then captaincy had become evident as early as the mid-1550s, when the governor-general Sousa oversaw all of the captaincies of the colony, except that of Pernambuco, by the requirement of its donee Duarte Coelho. Due to the cultivation of sugar, Pernambuco had become one of the few prosperous captaincies (the other notable one being São Vicente). In 1612, Pernambuco produced 14,000 tons of sugar; in the 1640s, more than 24,000 tons of sugar were exported to Amsterdam alone. While the sugar industry relied at first on the labor of indigenous peoples, especially the Tupis and Tapuyas, high mortality and economic growth led to the importation of African slaves from the late 17th century. Some of these slaves escaped the sugar-producing coastal regions and formed independent inland communities called mocambos, including Palmares.

In 1595 the captaincy suffered a severe blow. The English privateer James Lancaster, after picking up a chance-met separate squadron under Captain Henry Middleton, led an assault landing, seized the town of Recife and (with the assistance of a flotilla of Dutch traders who also threw in their lot with him) held it for several weeks, sailing away with the cargo of an East Indian carrack along with local plunder such as Brazil-wood.^[relevant?]

Dutch rule

In February 1630 the Flemish fleet sighted Pernambuco and landed on the shore of Pau Amarelo. The invading troops went into the village of Recife, which would oppose a higher resistance due to already having built a Fortress.

Revolt against the Dutch

On May 15, 1645, meeting on the São João Plantation, 18 insurgent leaders^{[citation needed]} in Pernambuco signed a commitment to fight against the Dutch rule in the captaincy. With the agreement signed, thus started the counter-attack on the Dutch invasion. The first major victory of the insurgents took place on the Mount of Tabocas (now located in the municipality of Vitória de Santo Antão) where 1200 mazombos insurgents armed with guns, sickles, sticks and arrows defeated 1900 well-armed and well trained Dutch, in an ambush. The success has given leading Antonio Dias Cardoso the nickname Master of Ambushes. The Dutch who survived went on to Recife, and again defeated by an alliance of mazombos, Indians native and black slaves.

They retreated back to the fortification in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Pontal de Nazaré, Sirinhaém, Rio Formoso, Porto Calvo and Forte Maurício, was successively defeated by insurgents. Finally, Olinda was recovered by the rebels.

Surrounded and isolated by rebel bands in their colony known as New Holland, going from Recife to Itamaracá, the invaders began to suffer from lack of food, which led them to attack cassava plantations in the villages of São Lourenço, Catuma, and Tejucupapo. On April 24, 1646, there was the famous Battle of Tejucupapo, where peasant women armed with farm implements and arms drove out the Dutch invaders, humiliating them permanently^{[editorializing]}. This historic fact established itself as the first major military participation of women in defence of the Brazilian territory.^[relevant?]

On April 19, 1648, the Dutch broke the siege, turning to Cabo São Agostinho. The site was the scene of two important battles of Brazilian military history – the two Battles of Guararapes. The fate of the invaders was sealed with the second Battle of Guararapes, but the invaders retained a surrounded presence until 1654. On January 20 that year, the last Dutch defences were penetrated, forcing the invaders to conclude a treaty of surrender. After 24 years of Dutch rule over Pernambuco, after 62 hours of negotiation,^{[citation needed]} on January 27, 1654 in Treaty of Taborda, the Dutch surrendered unconditionally.

The uprising was a milestone in Pernambuco, both militarily with the consolidation of ambush and guerrilla tactics, and socio-politically, with the increase of miscegenation between the three races (black African, white European and native Indian) and was the beginning of a sense of nationhood.^{[editorializing]}

Jews in Dutch Pernambuco

Jews arrived with the Dutch in 1635. New Christians, Jews that had converted to Catholicism played an important part in the colonization of Brazil, however because of the Portuguese Inquisition the Jewish faith itself was banned.

In Recife, the Jews entered the branch of the trade that they would soon dominate:^[4] during the rule of Count Maurice of Nassau, for example, they controlled 40% of sugar exports from Pernambuco to the Netherlands and Germany. They also built the Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue, the first synagogue in the Americas.

After the expulsion of the Dutch in 1654, the Jewish community in Pernambuco again suffered religious persecution by the Inquisition and left Brazil. They would settle in New Amsterdam, which would later become New York City.

Pernambucano revolts and conspiracies

See Also Rebellions and revolutions in Brazil

Within Pernambuco were several riots, revolutions and conspiracies in general inspired by the French Revolution, Freemasonry and the Enlightenment. European ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity were scattered among the more fortunate Pernambucanos, usually the aristocrats of the literary devices of cane sugar. Pernambuco even existed a few months as the Republic of Pernambuco, the result of the 1817 revolution. The flag of the modern State of Pernambuco was adapted from that of the 1817 revolution.

Empire of Brazil

Brazilian Independence

Independence from Portugal was not accepted right away, soon after D. Pedro I declared Brazilian Independence he would have to consolidate his power in Brazil.

Cabanada was a popular revolt which began in 1832 after the abdication of Dom Pedro I in the areas of forest and Agreste (with reflections in the neighboring state of Alagoas), against the government of the Regency. The rebels, in general, were humble people who lived in huts, or "cabanas" in portuguese,

a fact which gave rise to the name of the movement.

The government mobilized a large contingent to meet the rebels, but the fighting became meaningless with the emperor's death in 1834. The rebels were dominated in 1835.

Cabanada is also the movement that resulted in the ouster of President of the province of Alagoas, Bernardo de Sousa Franco, October 5, 1844. The rebels (about a thousand armed men) were commanded by Vicente Tavares da Silva (known as Vincente de Paula), but the movement was extinguished in little over a month by troops led by Brigadier General Antônio Correia Seara.

20th century

The Modern state

Cassava Scandal

One of the largest financial scandals in the history of Pernambuco, occurred in 1980 at the Bank of Brazil in Floresta, involving ~$700 million and several influential people in the state.

Loans were made by the bank for planting cassava, then it was alleged that drought had destroyed the plantations (which were never actually planted) and damages were recouped by crop insurance. Even the bank manager was involved. In July 1981, the Pernambucano press exposed the hoax, and a federal court inquiry ensued. The money was never actually diverted.

On March 3, 1982, District Attorney Pedro Jorge de Melo in charge of the inquiry was assassinated in Olinda. The crime had national repercussions. The trial of seven defendants in the death, among them MP Major José Ferreira dos Anjos, in October 1983 at the jury of Recife, resulted in sentences of 31 years imprisonment for each of the defendants.

In Nov. 1983, Major José Ferreira escaped from prison. He was recaptured in Jan. 1996, in the interior of Bahia and returned to prison in Recife.

References

^ ^a ^b Gabriela Martin. "Pré-história do Nordeste do Brasil". Google Books. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
^ "Sítios arqueológicos de Pernambuco: uma abordagem cultural" (PDF). Unicap. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
^ Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I by R. J. Knecht p.375 (Cambridge University Press, 1996)
^ "[...]the wealthy jewish residents who controlled the sugar trade gave all the best plantations to these newly-arrived co-religionists." p 29 Jewish Affairs, Volume 12 South African Jewish Board of Deputies, 1957[1]

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 ==Dutch rule==
 {{main article| Dutch Brazil}}
-{{Overly detailed|section=yes|date=January 2014}}
-{{merge to|Dutch Brazil|date=January 2014|section=yes}}
-{{Duplication|dupe=Dutch Brazilian#Dutch presence in Brazil|date=January 2014}}
 [[File:Flag of New Holland.svg|thumb|200 px | left | Dutch Brazil flag]]
+In February 1630 the Flemish fleet sighted Pernambuco and landed on the shore of [[Paulista|Pau Amarelo]]. The invading troops went [[Siege of Recife (1630)|into the village of Recife]], which would oppose a higher resistance due to already having built a Fortress.
-In 1630 the [[Dutch West India Company|Netherlands West Indies Company]] (WIC) turned their interests to the most promising of the captaincies of the Portuguese colonies in the Americas. With the [[Iberian Union]] (1580–1640) the Netherlands, first dominated by Spain after having achieved its independence through a struggle against Spanish rule, at the same time would take the loss for the {{clarify span|failure at [[Salvador, Bahia|Bahia]]|date=January 2014}}. They sailed on December 26, 1629 from São Vicente, [[Colonial Cape Verde|Cape Verde]], a fleet of 66 ships and 7,280 men toward [[Pernambuco]].
-[[File:Portrait of Johan Maurits (1604-1679), Count of Nassau-Siegen.jpg|thumb|150px|right|John Maurice of Nassau]]
-In February 1630 the Flemish fleet sighted Pernambuco on the horizon; most of the fleet went to the north of the captaincy because the port of [[Recife]] was well fortified and garrisoned by [[artillery]]. The landing took place on the shore of [[Paulista|Pau Amarelo]]. A weak resistance was organized at the crossing of the [[Rio Doce]], but soon defeated by the superior numbered Dutch. [[Olinda]] also did not oppose major setbacks. The few structures of defence and military disorganization contributed to a faster fall of the Portuguese defence. Then the invading troops went [[Siege of Recife (1630)|into the village of Recife]], which would oppose a higher resistance due to already having built a Fortress.
-[[Dutch Brazil]] passed through important cultural, economic and social government of Count [[John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen|Maurice of Nassau]]. Olinda was a difficult point of defence; according to Dutch design, it was abandoned and burned by the Flemish troops. Nassau's government built Maritania or Mauritsstad (present day [[Recife]]) on delta islands, which had similarities to Holland's topography. Unlike Olinda, the low swamplands of Mauritsstad were easier to defend. Nassau's Dutch administration was noted for advancements in urbanism, culture, and science. Under Nassau's command, the future Recife would surpass Olinda in regional importance with the construction of bridges, schools, infrastructure and sanitation. The Dutch legacy is still recognizable, 500 years later, in Pernambuco's people, accent and architecture{{vague|date=January 2014}}.
-The occupation was strongly resisted and the Dutch conquest was only partially successful. The [[Dutch people|Dutch]], who allowed sugar production to remain in Portuguese hands, regarded suppression of the Quilombo of [[Palmares (quilombo)|Palmares]] important, but they were unsuccessful. [[Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen]], count of Nassau, was appointed as ruler of the ''[[Nieuw Holland]]''. This change of tack by the government, almost entirely from exploitation by Portugal to something closer to a colony of settlement, some colonists did rebel against Portugal. Among them,[[Domingos Fernandes Calabar]], who fought against the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] resistance until the end of his life.{{relevance inline|date=January 2014}}
-[[File:Cidade mauricia.jpg|thumb|200px|left|City of [[Mauritsstad]]]]
 ===Revolt against the Dutch===
-{{summarize section|date=January 2014}}
 On May 15, 1645, meeting on the São João Plantation, 18 insurgent leaders{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} in Pernambuco signed a commitment to fight against the Dutch rule in the captaincy. With the agreement signed, thus started the counter-attack on the [[Dutch Brazil|Dutch invasion]]. The first major victory of the insurgents took place on the [[Battle of Tabocas|Mount of Tabocas]] (now located in the municipality of [[Vitória de Santo Antão]]) where 1200 mazombos insurgents armed with guns, sickles, sticks and arrows defeated 1900 well-armed and well trained Dutch, in an ambush. The success has given leading Antonio Dias Cardoso the nickname'' Master of Ambushes.'' The Dutch who survived went on to [[Recife]], and again defeated by an alliance of mazombos, [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]]s native and black [[slave]]s. [[File:Engenho com capela.jpg|thumb|200px|right|View of a sugar-producing farm (''engenho'') in colonial [[Pernambuco]] by Dutch painter Frans Post (17th century).]] They retreated back to the [[fortification]] in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Pontal de Nazaré, Sirinhaém, Rio Formoso, Porto Calvo and Forte Maurício, was successively defeated by insurgents. Finally, [[Olinda]] was recovered by the rebels.

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