Pensando a governança da América portuguesa: a construção de governadores-gerais modelares na Historia do Brazil, de Frei Vicente do Salvador

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to explore the representations created by Friar Vicente do Salvador about four governors-general of Portuguese America, from the 16th century, and to try to understand how this representation is associated with his political project, included in the Historia do Brazil. Born in Bahia, in the 16th century, Friar Vicente, supported by the “general laws” of modern historiography, makes golden images of colonial authorities seeking to create an “ideal” of a governor- general, holder of princely virtues. In his characterization, Tomé de Sousa is the industrious governor; Duarte da Costa is the merciful, meek ruler; Mem de Sá is the “mirror of Brazil's governors” and Francisco de Sousa is the “most popular” governor of Brazil. For this study, the methodology used in the work was based on the discourse analysis and specific readings dedicated to the written world in the modern period, such as the works written by the North American Richard Kagan, the Spaniard Fernando Bouza Alvarez and the British Quentin Skinner. In addition to them, the studies carried out based on the works of Maria Lêda Oliveira and Luiz Cristiano Oliveira de Andrade, both related to our research source, Historia do Brazil.