Santa Bárbara d'Oeste - Brazilian City founded by Southern Americans

[musiccity]

In the late 1860s Confederate refugees from the American Civil War (known as Confederados) settled in the region. Among them, there was William Hutchinson Norris, a senator from Alabama. Their descendants still hold an annual Confederate picnic on the second Sunday in April that features typical southern American foods like biscuits, fried chicken, chess pie and vinegar pie, as well Confederate songs and reenactments.

Confederados - Brazilian descendants of Southern Americans







A Brief History of Southern American immigration to Brazil

At the end of the American Civil War, the Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil was interested in having cotton crops due to the high prices and, through Freemasonry contacts, recruited experienced cotton farmers for his nation. Dom Pedro offered the potential immigrants subsidies and tax breaks. General Robert E. Lee advised Southerners not to flee to South America but many ignored his advice and set out to establish a new life away from the destruction of war.

Many Southerners who took the Emperor's offer had lost their land during the war, were unwilling to live under a conquering army, or simply did not expect an improvement in the South's economic position. In addition, Brazil would not outlaw slavery until 1888. Although a number of historians say that the existence of slavery was an appeal, Alcides Gussi, an independent researcher of State University of Campinas, found that only four families owned a total of 66 slaves from 1868 to 1875. The Confederates were the first organized Protestant group to settle in Brazil.

The American Immigration to Brazil was started within that year of 1865, in small ships and sailboats hurriedly reshaped, "motivated more by the pain and feelings of despair than by the vessels themselves." They were exhausted men, women and children, many were very injured, others were sick and depressed, but they were determined to give a new start to their lives in faraway Brazil.

Between 1865 and 1885, almost ten thousand White Americans coming mainly from Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee ran ashore in the ports of Belém, Vitória, Rio de Janeiro and Santos. Once they arrived, they had to redouble their so weakened energies and confront other faraway and tough trips around the land until they could reach the region of Campinas, whose climate and lands are similar to those of the Southern United States.

It is unknown just how many immigrants went to Brazil as refugees from the war, but unpublished research in the records of the port of Rio de Janeiro by Betty Antunes de Oliveira counts some 20,000 Americans that entered Brazil from 1865 to 1885. Of those, an unknown number returned to the United States as conditions improved there. Many immigrants renounced their U.S. citizenship and adopted Brazilian citizenship.

The immigrants settled in various places in Brazil ranging from the urban areas of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to the northern Amazon region (especially Santarém) and Paraná in the south. But most of the Confederados settled in the area around present-day Santa Bárbara d'Oeste and Americana – this, derived from the name Vila dos Americanos. This was the name given by natives in the region because of its American population.


The first original Confederados known to arrive was the senator William H. Norris of Alabama—the colony at Santa Bárbara d'Oeste is sometimes called the Norris Colony. Dom Pedro's program was judged a success for both the immigrants and the Brazilian government. The settlers brought with them modern agricultural techniques and new crops such as watermelon, and pecans that soon spread among the native Brazilian farmers. Some foods of the American South also crossed over and became part of general Brazilian culture such as chess pie, vinegar pie, and southern fried chicken.

The original Confederados continued many elements of American culture and established the first Baptist churches in Brazil. They also established public schools and provided education to their female children, which was unusual in Brazil at the time.

The city today



For further reading (and source)

http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2012/01/...nfederacy.html

Also, here's the Wiki article for Confederados

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederados

[musiccity]

Interesting huh?

[Karabuy]

yeah very interesting.. ive been in this city its nice to be, my grandparents came from southern illinois they were mormon missionaries settled in São Paulo State too.. Americana city was also funded by Southern Americans..

[musiccity]

Originally Posted by Karabuy

yeah very interesting.. ive been in this city its nice to be, my grandparents came from southern illinois they were mormon missionaries settled in São Paulo State too.. Americana city was also funded by Southern Americans..

Just looked up Americana.. interesting thanks!

[papa_spaz]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

[krazeeboi]

Well you learn something new everyday. Fascinating.

And what the hell are chess pie and vinegar pie???? Never heard of such before in my life.

[jam5]

I wonder what it would be like as a non-white American to visit such a place. Do they still have racial attitudes that would seem more in place in 1950s America?

[musiccity]

Originally Posted by krazeeboi

Well you learn something new everyday. Fascinating.

And what the hell are chess pie and vinegar pie???? Never heard of such before in my life.

I think Vinegar Pie is an old recipe but Ive had chess pie countless times and it's wonderful! I'm surprised you don't know what it is.

Originally Posted by jam5

I wonder what it would be like as a non-white American to visit such a place. Do they still have racial attitudes that would seem more in place in 1950s America?

The article about the Confederados say they don't carry racist views, they use the confederate flag as a symbol of their heritage.

[krazeeboi]

Originally Posted by musiccity

I think Vinegar Pie is an old recipe but Ive had chess pie countless times and it's wonderful! I'm surprised you don't know what it is.

I'm a born and bred South Carolinian and this is my first time ever hearing of either. Maybe they're known by other names in the parts I grew up in.

[musiccity]

If you look in the bakery section of a small town grocery store, I'll guarantee you'll find some.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_pie

[krazeeboi]

Originally Posted by musiccity

If you look in the bakery section of a small town grocery store, I'll guarantee you'll find some.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_pie

OK, egg custard pie. I know what that is, but never heard it called chess or vinegar pie.

[JorgiPorgi]

Very cool. I didn't know this existed either. Anyway, my Mom and grandmother make a mean Chocolate Chess pie. We always have a Chocolate Chess pie at thanksgiving. Born and raised in the foothills of Western NC.