CompanhiaAméricaFabril

From the small Pau Grande factory-farm, a producer of raw cotton fabrics in 1878, to one of the ten largest textile companies in 1903, and later the undisputed leader in the textile industry in 1911, Companhia América Fabril was one of the most important companies in Brazil.

The factory that gave rise to the conglomerate was established in what is now the neighborhood of Pau Grande, in Magé, by three businessmen who took advantage of a favorable scenario: the return of the US to the cotton market and the resulting drop in cotton costs, which helped drive the development of the Brazilian textile industry.

Starting in 1891, the factory was renamed Companhia América Fabril (CAF), and an important event marked its growth in the textile market: the acquisition of the Cruzeiro factory, in Andaraí, marking its entry into the urban area of the city of Rio de Janeiro. This expansion took place in the context of the economic policy aimed at industrial modernization undertaken by Rui Barbosa, which created a prosperous climate for investments in the sector, and thus CAF continued to expand, acquiring new factories, until it became a leader in the textile market.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a factory and its surrounding grounds. In the foreground, we see an open plot of land with some smaller structures. In the center, there is a large factory with several side buildings and a taller central building, possibly the main factory. To the right, there is a smaller construction, which could be a residence or another facility related to the factory. In the background, we see a city with various houses and buildings scattered about. Mountains stand in the distance, covered in vegetation. The caption on the image reads "General View of the Fábrica Cruzeiro with its workers' villages and adjacent grounds. Andarat, 1911. (Arq. CAF)."

In 1903, the purchase of the Bonfim factory, in São Cristóvão, marked the beginning of its leadership. In 1911, already holding the position of one of the ten largest textile companies, CAF opened the most modern fabric factory in Brazil at the time, the Fábrica Mavillis, built on the land next to the Bonfim factory. In the 1920s, the acquisition of the Fábrica Carioca, in Jardim Botânico, sealed once and for all its position as leader in the Brazilian textile market. However, in 1923, a split between investors gave rise to the Companhia Nova América de Tecidos, in Del Castilho.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of an industrial factory. On the left side, there is a large building with several windows and a central chimney tower. In the background, there are two more identical buildings, also with many windows. In the center of the image, there is an open area with some people walking and a few parked cars. In the background, there are mountains covered with trees.

The country's economic changes and the split within CAF made the company's modernization process more difficult. The arrival of the 1950s and the emergence of strong competition from São Paulo also had a major impact on América Fabril's development, and in the 1960s, the bankruptcy process began.

Following the customs of the period, it was common to find many children working in CAF's factories. Data pointing to the number of minors performing duties at the company records a figure of 4,769. With regard to women, they were usually placed in sectors where the work was lighter and considered less important - which gives us evidence of the gender inequality so present in the factory world - even though they were responsible for at least a third of production. Besides the exhausting work shifts, women were often victims of moral and sexual harassment.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a large number of people gathered in an outdoor location. The spatial arrangement is vertical, with the people organized in several rows, starting from the ground and rising to the top of the image. In the foreground, some individuals are seated, followed by other people standing, forming higher rows. On the left and right, there are some people standing, while the center of the image is occupied by more people standing. Everyone appears to be wearing traditional clothing, possibly from the early twentieth century. There is no visible text in the image.

AMÉRICA FABRIL WORKERS' ASSOCIATION (AOAF)

Founded in 1917, the Associação de Operários da América Fabril (AOAF) was responsible for pension payments to orphans and widows, various types of assistance, as well as organizing sporting, social, and cultural events for the workers, in which they themselves were the actors, athletes, or musicians. The association was also responsible for promoting moral conduct in the factory, according to what the board demanded. The association was not necessarily geared toward the workers' interests: its function was to maintain order and discipline, promoting events that would create a direct identification between the company and its employees.