Farroupilha in the historical formation of Rio Grande do Sul: The case of Moysés Vellinho (1945-1964)

Abstract

This article examines how the “O Rio Grande e o Prata: Contrastes” chapter in Capitania d’El-Rei, by the historian and politician Moysés Vellinho, depicts Farroupilha historiographically. I explore how the source is linked to the historiography of its time on the one hand and how it links historiography to political and identity issues on the other, using Michel de Certeau’s historiographic operation. The hypothesis underlying the article is the nationalization of regional history during the period from 1940 to 1960. Finally, I observe that the source/work analyzed was the object of both a political struggle and a writing of history in which Farroupilha represented the pinnacle of Brazilian identity among Rio Grande do Sul inhabitants.