O Rio Grande do Sul: fronteira entre duas formações históricas

Resumo

First of ali we showed that - right from the beginning - Rio Grande do Sul made
up a specific social formation in Brazil, since this region was always confronted to frontier
wars because of the characteristics and the settingup period of the frontier States. We
then examined a series of structural features which were particular for Rio Grande do Sul
society in relation to the rest of Biazil and which derived from its frontier wars. These
features are: its landowning structure; its rural social classes as well as the relation of its
regional ruling class with the government of the Empire. That is why the Rio Grande do
Sul tenitory was the scene of a new social experience in XIXth century Brazil. As we can
see along this essay, it was the first agrarian society that carne to differentiate itself socially
and the new rural landowing class did not rely basically on slavework. Rio Grande do Sul
society faced itself with totally new problemas with regard to the Brazilian context of the
transition from slaverytocapitalism.Moreover,duringtheoligarchicRepublic,thegoverning
political party in the region established on one hand closed links with the Brazilian Army
and on the other hand, it became the first modem political party in Brazil and achieved at
regional levei a long experience of djctatoiship. That is why we wonder if the Brazilian
conservative modemization did not start first in Rio Grande do Sul.