The end of the Iberian Union, in 1640, was followed by wars. The garrisons, organized by Salvador Corrêa de Sá e Benevides and assisted by homens bons (wealthy and influential men, often large landowners), fought in Luanda against the Dutch, secured a new victory, and the city welcomed the victors with joy. However, despite England's help, Portugal needed new sources of revenue and turned its gaze to the South Atlantic colony, resuming the fiscalist policy against the colony's interests.
Image description: The image is an old engraving depicting a coastal city. The spatial arrangement begins on the left, where a curved river can be seen, with various structures along its banks. On the right, the city is located between the river and the sea, with streets and buildings arranged in an organized fashion. In the center, there is a densely populated area, while on the right, near the sea, there are smaller and more sparsely scattered buildings. The text "CIVITAS LOANDE S PAULI" is located in the center, indicating the name of the city.Map of the city of São Paulo de Luanda, Angola, taken by the Dutch in August 1641 and retaken by the Portuguese in August 1648, following the signing of an agreement. Author unknown. Image taken from the Hum Historiador website
The first measure was to raise taxes on imports and exports. The second was to create the Brazil Trade Company, in 1649. However, there was widespread dissatisfaction among those who upheld Rio de Janeiro's fortune and expected news, after the title of “muy leal” gave them the status of nobility of the land and the city received from the Portuguese State the status of sister city to Porto. The restrictions from the metropolis kept multiplying, reaching the point of banning the production of cachaça, one of Rio's greatest riches, so that Portuguese wines could have a market here.
Salvador Corrêa de Sá e Benevides took over the government of the city in 1660 and, to everyone's astonishment, assumed the role of colonizer, breaking the pact with the settlers and triggering the
which represented the first revolt against the authority of the metropolis and the governor. After the revolt, there were difficulties in getting back on the path to financial prosperity, which were only resolved with the founding of Colônia do Sacramento in 1680, and the gold discoveries in the Minas region.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. At the top, there is a portrait of a man with a beard and mustache, wearing formal Renaissance-period clothing. Below him is an illustration of a fortress with people engaged in activities around it.Salvador Correia de Sá e Benevides, one of the main figures responsible for the retaking of Luanda in 1648, applied rigorous fiscal policy in the colony, triggering the Cachaça Revolt. Image taken from the website Hum Historiador
